Zerg Genetics Engineering Retcon?

[ragnarok]

I'm challenging Ein's assertion that Amon's whole plan with the Overmind was that it wanted the Overmind to die. The above is a possible "out" but just like all of our own fanon reasons, any "real" explanations given by Blizz for their retcons (if at all) will not sound any less like an evasion or reinterpretation of past things.

Yeah this is the problem, they tend to forget the lore. Plus if we raise this Q at a Q and A panel, I'm sure their response would be utter crap.

They worked fine taking over Shakuras even when the Zerg there were supposed to be feral and that the 2nd Overmind was nowhere near at the height of the original.

*facepalm* I didn't mean the Cerebrates would die INSTANTLY if the Overmind is killed.

That's a convenient excuse given that void energy is perhaps older and has probably existed even prior to the Protoss only for it to be tapped by the Nerazim later when they were denied any other source. Amon could've summoned this void energy then to kill it because the Overmind has some void energy within it, too (it's the explanation the Overmind gives as the reason why the Dark Templar are able to harm it in Sc1). This is the problem you get when you have all powerful, ancient and extremely knowledgeable villains that are even more powerful, ancient and extremely knowledgeable (Amon) than the previous one (Overmind). He has to have a convenient gap in his knowledge which is so basic and something that they should be expected to know and then expect the audience to swallow it as being "realistic" for that universe.

Of course the Void is older. The Xel'Naga knew of the Void before they even visited Aiur. Now yes, you can say technically the Protoss existed BEFORE the Xel'Naga arrived, but even so we don't know when the first Protoss was born on Aiur and all that, so it's harder to figure out.

As for the villains who are too powerful with this memory gap, that's always the excuse if the time span is trillions of years or something, the developers always use the "over the period of this time" to be vague, so we can't hold them responsible.

Careful about that hindsight bias. I'm talking from the perspective and knowledge we obtain in Sc1 only. That so-called plot hole of the "Overmind leaving Kerrigan on Char to attack Aiur and then die was a stupid move" is not really a plot-hole at all. It is doubtful Kerrigan would have done much anyway to help the Overmind on Aiur since a) it was already winning on Aiur and b) she failed in her own task of eliminating the Dark Templar. Lastly, that position of "the Overmind being dumb to go to Aiur alone" is an opinion based from hindsight bias because if the Overmind hadn't died (ie: as in Kerrigan doing her job on Char properly), it would've been labelled as a tactical genius. Go figure...

Either that or since the Overmind felt Kerrigan did a reasonable job, although not successful, it just let her decide for herself how to deal with the Dark Templar and all.

This would imply he's conveniently blind of the prophecy? How come the comparatively "lowly" Overmind was able to see Amon's weakness (which Amon itself reveals in that vision) and Amon could not? Oh, that's right the vision's fake. Or is it? Some people think it's real and that the information it gives is gospel. And that wishy-washy nonsensical directive thing - hasn't Amon read those rules to being an effective evil overlord? I guess that if Amon was so sloppy there, then he's bound to fail on any bigger venture. Jeez, what a mess....

The prophecy didn't exist the moment he corrupted the Overmind. For all we know, the prophecy didn't exist even after the killing of the other Xel'Naga.

It's possible that maybe Amon THOUGHT he killed the other Xel'Naga with the corrupted Zerg, but in reality didn't, and some of the remaining Xel'Naga were able to escape. As a result, some of those who had escaped went to Ulaan to carve out the prophecy on the Xel'Naga shrines, but Amon never knew of it.

[Einharjar]

Alright, here are the questions that we need to solve before any of this will ever make sense.

One - What the Hell is Psi and Void. It seems to be the same thing, just different polarities. Void is Psionics, Psi is ... well, also Psionics. Is that it? Isn't there anymore information? We know Psi is of the natural Universe, what ever it is. The Zerg innately had Psi, though it seemed it was Void based (which btw, on the topic of which is older, the Protoss are recorded being Psi based before the Zerg obviously and the Zerg are Void base. There is no evidence saying one is old than the other or that they are even different energies. More evidence describes Psi and Void being the same energy; but just in different forms) Terran's naturally developed Psi and even the Protoss innately had Psi. Psionically adept beings were one of the requirement's for the Xel'naga experiments; so we know Psi is just a thing that permeates the SC universe. It's not synthetic. So what is it?

Two - WTF is Amon? We know he is Xel'naga; however when did he die? Was he truly dead? If he was dead, how was he communicating beyond the Grave? Why and where does this relationship with Duran exist and come from? Why was it needed?

Three - How exactly is Xel'naga formed? What truly completes the Cycle? What did the Zerg need to do in order to succeed in Assimilating the Protoss in SC1 and would that of theoretically created new Xel'naga or not? On a side note, explain the requirements for becoming Purity of Form and Purity of Essence?

After those questions are answered, we can try to lay a logical Amon POV timeline of thought; knowing more clearly what Psi is, what it takes to remake Xel'naga, what the Purities actually stand for and why Amon summoned Duran, influenced the Overmind and requires the Hybrids and what not.
Here's my thought processed based on trying to answer at least some of the above myself through educated guesses.

Establishing a Motive - Amon wishes to remake the Universe. Rather this is because he has a deranged sense of humor, feels that the Xel'naga as a species needs to evolve themselves or is just a guy wanting loads of power; he needs a motive to explain his actions.

- Reason for establishing the events on Auir (speculative that he is involved here) - Amon is dying. His brethren are dying. They are nearing the end of the cycle so he is forced to find ways around their soon inevitable death. He "persuades" his Kin to involve themselves with the Protoss purposely early and quickly resulting in the Protoss ego inflation because he knew it would create tension that would otherwise force the Xel'naga to leave the Protoss behind. It would also force the Protoss into a setback in advancement and hopefully keep them from being too strong for his future plans (aeon of strife).

- Reason for establishing the Overmind and the Zerg's attack on the Xel'naga - Amon uses the Protoss "failure" as an excuse to create a Hive Mind for the Zerg species. In doing so, Amon succeeds in creating a powerful locomotive because the entirety of the species in Unified and susepctable to being controlled. Further more, his "assistance" in creating the Overmind provides him with a possible vessel for his "mind/influence" and allows him to live past his own Life cycle. He purposely exposes the Xel'naga to the Overmind knowing that the Overmind would seek out the Xel'naga in the hopes of consuming them. This is the final result, as planned. Amon, one of the many Xel'naga killed in the Zerg onslaught, lets himself be consumed in order to corrupt the Overmind's thoughts. He knew the Zerg couldn't absorb the Xel'naga biologically, but the Overmind was made just strong enough to absorb knowledge and memories. In this manner, Amon's "mind" is planted as the Influence within the Overmind's own conscious as the Overmind unknowingly consumes Amon.

- Reason for summoning an Agent - Like the Overmnind before it, Amon reached out with his influence to find suitable Agents to serve him physically; as he was now disembodied and contained within the ravaging Swarm Hive Mind. He recovered Duran, influence him and made him into his own Agent. This Agent was required to create the Hybrids that would lead to Amon's resurrection and the continuing of his plans to remake the Universe through domination. Duran was sent out a head of the Swarm and encountered the Terrans. Duran surmised he could use the Terrans to foster the creation of the Hybrids. It was Duran's guile that lead to the Confederates testing Psi Emitter technology. By using Ghost neural imprints, he'd let the Terran's lure the Zerg to the K-sector, so that the Protoss and Zerg would clash close enough to gain specimens for Hybrid creation during the conflicts and using the resulting wars as cover for his actions.

- Reason for destroying the Overmind - Amon's influence had become increasingly powerful and allowed it to sustain itself in Psionic form in some manner we don't understand as of yet (Tassadar still exists... some how...). His influence was now spread through out any manner of controlling beast through out the Swarm; the Overmind, Cerebreates even Kerrigan were now whom harbor his thoughts and mind. The time was nigh to try to weaken the Zerg, reduce the chance of the Zerg creating a method to fight Amon's intentions and ensure the Protoss remained a force too weakened to stop Amon's army of Hybrids. He sees that the Overmind was using the Terrans as a means to find and bolster the Zerg's potential in combat versus the Protoss; this could lead to a threat. He influences the Overmind again to hastily misjudge the Protoss on Auir and leaves it's cherished Prize on Char. It then ascends on Auir too early, without it's new weapon and gets killed. This reduced the Zerg to forcing it's weaker Cerebrates into forming a weaker Overmind; making the Zerg ever more susceptible to future control and manipulation.

- Reason for Duran's inclusion of Kerrigan - Duran sought Kerrigan out in an attempt to judge her as a threat. While her human lust for vengeance delayed the Swarm's threat level to Amon's plans, Duran still saw her as the potential prophetic being that could pose a problem to Amon's plans. Duran assisted her in her Brood War's, assessing her every move. It wasn't long before he was disappearing from her presence in order to begin the process of seeding worlds with the Hybrids. By this time, her potential was unveiled to Duran and he knew that they must act fast to prevent her from becoming who she was prophesied to be. For this reason, Kerrigan's vengeful schemes were embraced as distractions and her humanity was placed before the Zerg's well being; causing to fear in despire and hopelessness in the wake of discovering the Prophecy herself. Had not Zeratul intervened and warned Raynor, Kerrigan would've succumbed to her own depression and thirst for revenge and accepted her death at the hands of Amon than become the being she's now reborn into in HotS.

- Reasoning for Amon's persisted existence - Duran's experiments succeeded prior to Kerrigan's fall as the Queen of Blades and rebirth as the Primal Queen. The Hybrids were now the new vessels for which Amon's influence could reside. All that was left was the needed requirements for a full body resurrections; of which Duran was achieving.



So the whole Idea is that Amon's motive is power/corrupted view of making a better universe/evolving the Xel'naga into a better form or whatever. He is instrumental in the two failures of the Xel'naga, back to back under the pressure the Xel'naga time left is nearing an end. With limited time himself due to age, he pushes his Brethren to act fast in order to reach a point that Amon can persist even beyond death while the whole time deceiving them.
Once he succeeds, he seeks out an agent to carry out his physical manifestations.
Once the Overmind is of no use and is seen as a potential threat should it be kept alive much longer, Amon influences it's death. He doesn't know that the Overmind knew of this plan, created Kerrigan for her true purpose and that it let itself fall on Auir to deceive Amon in return, making the Xel'naga feel he succeeded.
Duran is then interested in Kerrigan, the next threat left but is surprised to see than he and Amon have been played by the Overmind and underestimated the Creature the whole time. Kerrigan is in fact, the predicted individual that can stop Amon, so Duran acts quickly, "Speeding up his progress". Before the Brood War's end, Amon has other vessels outside of the Hive Mind to possess. It is then left to distracting Kerrigan from discovering her true role and accepting death and hopelessness. They nearly succeed, by influencing her humanity over her Zerg will and instinct which would've otherwise been immune to things like "Hopelessness" and "Vengeance". However, Zeratul intervenes and again, Amon and crew are thrown a curve ball.
Kerrigan is "purged" of Amon's influence by the Relic. As a result, her mind is left free to her own will entirely and not just in the minute ways when she was under the guidance of the Overmind due to Amon's corruption. In HotS, she is left to pursue her vengeance once more, but this time willingly chooses her path to become Queen of Blades again through her Primal infestation because her Zerg being is no longer repressed. Completely removed of any corruption by Amon, she seeks to fullfill the Overmind's words to it's Cerebrates in SC1 in which it was defending = "Let her go, Zasz. The greatness of her spirit has been left to her; that the Swarms might benefit from her fierce example. Fear not her designs, for she is bound to me as intimately as any Cerebrate. Truly, no zerg can stray from my will, for all that you are lies wholly within me. Kerrigan is free to do as she desires."

Again, this is really just assumption. We have serious questions that need answering and I need not mention how tough that in itself is going to be when working with Blizzard these days...

[Gradius]

One - What the Hell is Psi and Void. It seems to be the same thing, just different polarities. Void is Psionics, Psi is ... well, also Psionics. Is that it? Isn't there anymore information? We know Psi is of the natural Universe, what ever it is. The Zerg innately had Psi, though it seemed it was Void based (which btw, on the topic of which is older, the Protoss are recorded being Psi based before the Zerg obviously and the Zerg are Void base. There is no evidence saying one is old than the other or that they are even different energies. More evidence describes Psi and Void being the same energy; but just in different forms) Terran's naturally developed Psi and even the Protoss innately had Psi. Psionically adept beings were one of the requirement's for the Xel'naga experiments; so we know Psi is just a thing that permeates the SC universe. It's not synthetic. So what is it?

Void is a subset of psionics. Khala energy is another subset of psionics. There's lots of options from where the energy itself comes from:

Magnetosphere - "the area of space near an astronomical object in which charged particles are controlled by that object's magnetic field." I think that this is the psionic matrix. Aiur has a psionic matrix, and I believe that is where khalai draw their energy from. I also think that this is where khalai memories are stored and where Tassadar lives. But this is pure speculation obviously.

Dark energy - the universe is theorized by modern physics to consist of almost 70% dark energy. It fuels the expansion of the cosmos. The dark templar are said to draw energy from the cold void of space, and this seems to be the obvious choice. However, it kind of contradicts the queen of blades book where the room became colder when Zeratul activated his warp blade. It implies that the Void effects normal energy too, and not just dark energy.

Solar radiation - all of space has high energy protons, helium and various ions that fly through the cosmos.

Vacuum energy - An "underlying background energy that exists in space throughout the entire Universe". Not very powerful though. A cubic meter only has 10−9 joules of this energy.

The problem really isn't "what is it" it's "how do organic brains access and manipulate this energy?" Equiliari made an earlier post here that I also happen to subscribe to that it works through quantum entanglement. The brain/nerve-cords control one set of entangled particles, and another set of entangled particles is somewhere out in deep space, gathering energy to itself like a magnet and then bringing it back.

Two - WTF is Amon? We know he is Xel'naga; however when did he die? Was he truly dead? If he was dead, how was he communicating beyond the Grave? Why and where does this relationship with Duran exist and come from? Why was it needed?

No frickin clue. Maybe he just never died. Locked himself in stasis or something.

Three - How exactly is Xel'naga formed? What truly completes the Cycle? What did the Zerg need to do in order to succeed in Assimilating the Protoss in SC1 and would that of theoretically created new Xel'naga or not? On a side note, explain the requirements for becoming Purity of Form and Purity of Essence?

Zamara explains that they would have merged over aeons, that they wouldn't even notice. Personally, I can't really understand how this would happen without protoss getting assimilated into the swarm.

On a side note, explain the requirements for becoming Purity of Form and Purity of Essence?

Need to know what those things are. Unfortunately SC2 has only confused the issue rather than clarify it.

Establishing a Motive - Amon wishes to remake the galaxy.

Fixed. :P

Really, Amon's actions are extremely provincial. What he does doesn't even matter, because the universe is far too vast for anybody to conquer its entirety. Even at insane FTL speeds it would take hundreds of thousands of years just to cross the known universe, let alone subdue every single galaxy in it.

- Reason for summoning an Agent - Like the Overmnind before it, Amon reached out with his influence to find suitable Agents to serve him physically; as he was now disembodied and contained within the ravaging Swarm Hive Mind. He recovered Duran, influence him and made him into his own Agent. This Agent was required to create the Hybrids that would lead to Amon's resurrection and the continuing of his plans to remake the Universe through domination. Duran was sent out a head of the Swarm and encountered the Terrans. Duran surmised he could use the Terrans to foster the creation of the Hybrids. It was Duran's guile that lead to the Confederates testing Psi Emitter technology. By using Ghost neural imprints, he'd let the Terran's lure the Zerg to the K-sector, so that the Protoss and Zerg would clash close enough to gain specimens for Hybrid creation during the conflicts and using the resulting wars as cover for his actions.

Nice theory, but how does this explain the fact that the Overmind was able to disobey its directives?

With limited time himself due to age, he pushes his Brethren to act fast in order to reach a point that Amon can persist even beyond death while the whole time deceiving them.

So how does Amon get revived then?

Kerrigan is "purged" of Amon's influence by the Relic. As a result, her mind is left free to her own will entirely and not just in the minute ways when she was under the guidance of the Overmind due to Amon's corruption.

Actually, she was preparing the swarms for a great battle during the 4 year interlude. She planned on fighting Amon to begin with, though she had a slightly more defeatist nature about it at the time. The artifact didn't actually do anything. In fact, it was detrimental to the cause since it crippled the swarms, nearly killed Kerrigan, and had some of its energy go to resurrecting Amon.

[ragnarok]

Zamara explains that they would have merged over aeons, that they wouldn't even notice. Personally, I can't really understand how this would happen without protoss getting assimilated into the swarm.

That we know, but it remains to be seen what the merging would have been like, maybe it would have been a similar concept to the merging of an Archon or Dark Archon.

Fixed. :P

Really, Amon's actions are extremely provincial. What he does doesn't even matter, because the universe is far too vast for anybody to conquer its entirety. Even at insane FTL speeds it would take hundreds of thousands of years just to cross the known universe, let alone subdue every single galaxy in it.

Hence why Blizzard will just use the excuse "he's a god, remember?" To me that's total BS. Even deities have their limitations.

Actually, she was preparing the swarms for a great battle during the 4 year interlude. She planned on fighting Amon to begin with, though she had a slightly more defeatist nature about it at the time. The artifact didn't actually do anything. In fact, it was detrimental to the cause since it crippled the swarms, nearly killed Kerrigan, and had some of its energy go to resurrecting Amon.

I'm not sure she knew of Amon by the end of the Brood War. She knew SOMETHING was on the horizon, but that's all.

Besides Gradius, if Kerrigan felt the artifact was incapable of doing ANYTHING, she wouldn't have bothered looking for it back in WoL.

[Gradius]

I'm not sure she knew of Amon by the end of the Brood War. She knew SOMETHING was on the horizon, but that's all.

Her words are:

A storm is coming that CANNOT be stopped. Fitting - that we should face oblivion together.

Wouldn't it be better to end your struggle now than witness the final agonizing moments of your species?

Definitely indicates that she knows what's up.

Besides Gradius, if Kerrigan felt the artifact was incapable of doing ANYTHING, she wouldn't have bothered looking for it back in WoL.

Right, she knew that the artifact posed a danger to her and that it's energy was used by Narud to help revive Amon. That's why she said "I've seen past your Dr. Narurd's pathetic charade." This further supports the fact that we were working for the bad guys in WoL.

[ragnarok]

Her words are:

A storm is coming that CANNOT be stopped. Fitting - that we should face oblivion together.

Wouldn't it be better to end your struggle now than witness the final agonizing moments of your species?

Definitely indicates that she knows what's up.

No, I meant JUST as the Brood War ended. If you look at the epilogue, she thought it was perhaps a hollow victory with the trials yet to come. So at that point, I'm just not sure WHAT she understood.

Right, she knew that the artifact posed a danger to her and that it's energy was used by Narud to help revive Amon. That's why she said "I've seen past your Dr. Narurd's pathetic charade." This further supports the fact that we were working for the bad guys in WoL.

Kerrigan didn't know that the artifact would be used to revive Amon in WoL.

Remember, in HotS, she was discussing that issue with Stukov, and wondering where Narud would get all the psionic energy from. Stukov speculated that all the psionic energy of the original QoB had to go somewhere when she got blasted by the artifact, and only THEN did Kerrigan see that this probably revived Amon.

[Einharjar]

Void is a subset of psionics. Khala energy is another subset of psionics. There's lots of options from where the energy itself comes from:

Magnetosphere - "the area of space near an astronomical object in which charged particles are controlled by that object's magnetic field." I think that this is the psionic matrix. Aiur has a psionic matrix, and I believe that is where khalai draw their energy from. I also think that this is where khalai memories are stored and where Tassadar lives. But this is pure speculation obviously.

Dark energy - the universe is theorized by modern physics to consist of almost 70% dark energy. It fuels the expansion of the cosmos. The dark templar are said to draw energy from the cold void of space, and this seems to be the obvious choice. However, it kind of contradicts the queen of blades book where the room became colder when Zeratul activated his warp blade. It implies that the Void effects normal energy too, and not just dark energy.

Solar radiation - all of space has high energy protons, helium and various ions that fly through the cosmos.

Vacuum energy - An "underlying background energy that exists in space throughout the entire Universe". Not very powerful though. A cubic meter only has 10−9 joules of this energy.

The problem really isn't "what is it" it's "how do organic brains access and manipulate this energy?" Equiliari made an earlier post here that I also happen to subscribe to that it works through quantum entanglement. The brain/nerve-cords control one set of entangled particles, and another set of entangled particles is somewhere out in deep space, gathering energy to itself like a magnet and then bringing it back.

I actually heard of several theories matching as well. One being Electro Magnetic, the other being Gravitonic. I believe the Anatomy of Starcraft series went over it and I spoke with ItWhoSpeaks I think about it? It's cool n' all, but Psi is FTL and able to break numerous barriers. While Gravity is space bending, that still doesn't explain the Void.
Also, just so we're not confused here, you're using Khala Energy to hence forth refer to the "Positive Psi" I keep refering too. But to remind us all, THE Khala, itself, isn't an energy.
[The Khala ("Path of Ascension") is the main religion of the Khalai protoss. It is based on a psionic philosophy that maintains a communal psionic link between all adherents.[1] Followers are further subdivided into at least five level of adepts.]
It's a discipline. Just so we're clear here and we don't confused are selves.

The Quantum Entanglement theory wouldn't work. Q-E in no way transfers energy. Nerve cells have no way of interacting with the Q-E particles and those particles do not "transmit" anything; not information, not energy; they only match states via super positioning. Trust me, I looked at this as well. Quantum Entanglement is only useful when sending data via Quantum Computing but it's not in the ways conventional systems work. Sucks really.
I'm more inclined to accept outer universal energies, energies that have permeated since before the 4 forces were created, Gravity, Electromagnetism, Space and Time. The Higgs Field is one such "energy" force that existed* prior to those forces being created in our particular universe. This opens our eyes to the idea of Multiverses easily and if there can be multiple universes; than what other forces may their in our own, just outside our own or even left over from what we may have been before.

No frickin clue. Maybe he just never died. Locked himself in stasis or something.

Since they keep refering to him as needing a ressurection, I assume he's dead. I simply theorized his Death was at the hand of the Zerg and was trying to be more dramatic and clever when describing how he even "influenced" the Overmind to begin with. If we find him in stasis, locked away like some Argus Jewel remake again... I'm going to break my screen while playing LotV...

Zamara explains that they would have merged over aeons, that they wouldn't even notice. Personally, I can't really understand how this would happen without protoss getting assimilated into the swarm.

And this doesn't seem to make sense. Over Aeons? Zamara really? You mean, the Protoss are willingly going to cross breed? WHAT? Even worse... HOW?
The DT saga broke a few things; especially basic speculations of the Lore. The Aeon of Strife was completely changed and the Xel'naga are turned from being simply, comsmically unique species to some Sooper Spechul people..
If she's taken seriously by the writers, than we're forced to try and figure out how in the F' the Zerg were even chosen to be Purity of Essence when even before Amon's brain washing of the Overmind; the Zerg's only way to merge was via irradications and assimiliatoins... like WTF...

Need to know what those things are. Unfortunately SC2 has only confused the issue rather than clarify it.

And the above issue is one of the reasons for such confusion. This isn't just SC2. I know people respect some of the Authors for the books but none of them did research on their material first and Metzen was forgetful enough to go "Yup, good enough!" when reviewing the finished product...

Fixed. :P

Fair enough, but -

Really, Amon's actions are extremely provincial. What he does doesn't even matter, because the universe is far too vast for anybody to conquer its entirety. Even at insane FTL speeds it would take hundreds of thousands of years just to cross the known universe, let alone subdue every single galaxy in it.

Xel'naga originally came from other Galaxies. Presumably, since Andromeda is the closest, that would be the first Galaxy that Amon will remember prior to our own. I do not see him stopping at the Milky Way if he was to be fleshed out and shown just how motivated he is; plus the results of this plan of his.

Nice theory, but how does this explain the fact that the Overmind was able to disobey its directives?

Fortitude. The Overmind on one hand was simply a Zerg collective hub for all living creatures. Like, hooking up 20 computers into one deck to make a server. The server controller just organizes it, but all the instinct and will is actually from the entire species beating one heart beat - mentally that is. However, the Overmind had some individuality. If he didn't, then there would've been no Cerebrates with unique traits or simply no Cerebrates at all. Hell, not even Abathur might've been possible.
This internal individuality may have had the Fortitude to resist and hide it's existence from it's own "Hive Mind", thus evading detection. It's the same way I'd explain the current issue with Blizzard's simple explanations given in the WoL missions.

So how does Amon get revived then?

Can't answer this. We've yet to see it. Only clues are that the Hybrids can suck psionic energy and maybe that's for the purpose of resurrecting him. Other than that? It's all on Blizzard.

Actually, she was preparing the swarms for a great battle during the 4 year interlude. She planned on fighting Amon to begin with, though she had a slightly more defeatist nature about it at the time. The artifact didn't actually do anything. In fact, it was detrimental to the cause since it crippled the swarms, nearly killed Kerrigan, and had some of its energy go to resurrecting Amon.

I was also refering to the HotS timeline in which she's accepted her role. She's doing the best for the Zerg. Amon will hunt them, one way or another. If there is a chance that she can win; through alliances, through power, through guile or exploiting a weakness. The big thing I saw in HotS was that she went from accepting death because it was hopeless, to accepting death as a possibility but victory could still be possible even after she dies; because she's not alone. So even if she dies, there is still a chance the species can live on via one of her Brood Mothers.

[ragnarok]

And this doesn't seem to make sense. Over Aeons? Zamara really? You mean, the Protoss are willingly going to cross breed? WHAT? Even worse... HOW?
The DT saga broke a few things; especially basic speculations of the Lore. The Aeon of Strife was completely changed and the Xel'naga are turned from being simply, comsmically unique species to some Sooper Spechul people..
If she's taken seriously by the writers, than we're forced to try and figure out how in the F' the Zerg were even chosen to be Purity of Essence when even before Amon's brain washing of the Overmind; the Zerg's only way to merge was via irradications and assimiliatoins... like WTF...


And the above issue is one of the reasons for such confusion. This isn't just SC2. I know people respect some of the Authors for the books but none of them did research on their material first and Metzen was forgetful enough to go "Yup, good enough!" when reviewing the finished product...

Hence the problem with Christie Golden. It's not that the DT Saga books sucked, but I don't think she read the SC1 manual when she wrote those books...

Fortitude. The Overmind on one hand was simply a Zerg collective hub for all living creatures. Like, hooking up 20 computers into one deck to make a server. The server controller just organizes it, but all the instinct and will is actually from the entire species beating one heart beat - mentally that is. However, the Overmind had some individuality. If he didn't, then there would've been no Cerebrates with unique traits or simply no Cerebrates at all. Hell, not even Abathur might've been possible.
This internal individuality may have had the Fortitude to resist and hide it's existence from it's own "Hive Mind", thus evading detection. It's the same way I'd explain the current issue with Blizzard's simple explanations given in the WoL missions.

See, this is why I believe the Overmind's original purpose might have not been JUST to control the Zerg like we thought.

From the DT Saga, Zamara explained that it takes a LOT of time for the two species the Xel'Naga uplift to find each other, and even then it's a gamble on chance whether they'll merge or not.

If that's true, then perhaps the Overmind's other purpose was to make sure the Zerg don't go extinct before they finally find the Protoss species. After all, according to the LotV page on SC wiki, the Protoss have been dying out LONG before SC1 occurred.

[Turalyon]

*facepalm* I didn't mean the Cerebrates would die INSTANTLY if the Overmind is killed.

You know that this is not what I wrote or implied. My point still stands that in BW, the cerebrates were still very much effective even after the Overmind was killed. The cerebrates seemed to be quite co-ordinated on Shakuras. Being deemed "feral" and "ineffective" is just an informed trait.

Of course the Void is older. The Xel'Naga knew of the Void before they even visited Aiur.

You've just proven my point then that Amon could've (or should've if subscribing to Ein's interpretation) killed Overmind right from the get go, especially if this is what Amon really wanted.

As for the villains who are too powerful with this memory gap, that's always the excuse if the time span is trillions of years or something, the developers always use the "over the period of this time" to be vague, so we can't hold them responsible.

Of course we can hold them responsible because this is an example of the trope of "Sci-Fi writers have no sense of .... (fill in whatever is appropriate)". Their justification of Amon somehow not knowing something so elementary is because the writers are thinking of Amon in, relatively speaking, human terms when he is supposed to be anything but.

Either that or since the Overmind felt Kerrigan did a reasonable job, although not successful, it just let her decide for herself how to deal with the Dark Templar and all.

I wouldn't call failing to kill either Zeratul and the Dark Templar (who were eventually responsible for murdering the gateway cerebrates that were guarding it) and Tassadar (the eventual and actual instrument for its death) as being a "reasonable job" on her part given that it was her sole responsibility on Char. :/ Kerrigan failed in her task - it's as simple as that.

There was no other ulterior motive for "leaving Kerrigan behind" (if one can still call it that) then and there should'n't have been now. Kerrigan probably had the most important and most dangerous task of all - having to face a new and credible threat (permanent death of cerebrates and itself would be considered a "big thing" to put it mildly) the Overmind didn't expect or fathom since arriving in the Koprulu sector. She was not "safely out of harm's way" as some people suggest, which is funny because it is that aforementioned reason (Kerrigan being left behind for "safety") Sc2 hinges on for their retcon "Zerg Saviour" thing it's spouting and it's completely wrong!

The prophecy didn't exist the moment he corrupted the Overmind. For all we know, the prophecy didn't exist even after the killing of the other Xel'Naga.

Sure, but the specific information about Kerrigan being the one thing to stop Amon would've had to have existed at that point for it was Amon himself that proclaimed as such in the Overmind's vision and that it was the only time the Overmind and Amon would've interacted. Otherwise, it just means the Overmind was guessing or daydreaming or something. So we're now supposed to take that vision as just being fanciful as it really always was (like I've always thought mind you) and that it provided no real or new information? Great, another reason for why WoL was totally irrelevant.

Reason for destroying the Overmind - Amon's influence had become increasingly powerful and allowed it to sustain itself in Psionic form in some manner we don't understand as of yet (Tassadar still exists... some how...). His influence was now spread through out any manner of controlling beast through out the Swarm; the Overmind, Cerebreates even Kerrigan were now whom harbor his thoughts and mind. The time was nigh to try to weaken the Zerg, reduce the chance of the Zerg creating a method to fight Amon's intentions and ensure the Protoss remained a force too weakened to stop Amon's army of Hybrids. He sees that the Overmind was using the Terrans as a means to find and bolster the Zerg's potential in combat versus the Protoss; this could lead to a threat. He influences the Overmind again to hastily misjudge the Protoss on Auir and leaves it's cherished Prize on Char. It then ascends on Auir too early, without it's new weapon and gets killed. This reduced the Zerg to forcing it's weaker Cerebrates into forming a weaker Overmind; making the Zerg ever more susceptible to future control and manipulation.

But that would mean Amon failed and that he should've known about this ahead of time, especially if Amon's directive is really Amon itself integrated into the Overmind. Amon knows that if the Overmind would ever convert a psionic potential into the Zerg's midst, then it would mean a potential future threat to it. Naturally, this would/should be reason for the directive to steer the Overmind away from suicide because with the Overmind still being around, the directive/"Amon" would still be in control of this newly integrated psionic potential (in this case, Kerrigan). In such a case, there would be no way for the "real" Overmind to ever double-think it's way to suicide because that would be in counter of what the directive/Amon would've wanted.

Reason for Duran's inclusion of Kerrigan - Duran sought Kerrigan out in an attempt to judge her as a threat. While her human lust for vengeance delayed the Swarm's threat level to Amon's plans, Duran still saw her as the potential prophetic being that could pose a problem to Amon's plans. Duran assisted her in her Brood War's, assessing her every move. It wasn't long before he was disappearing from her presence in order to begin the process of seeding worlds with the Hybrids. By this time, her potential was unveiled to Duran and he knew that they must act fast to prevent her from becoming who she was prophesied to be. For this reason, Kerrigan's vengeful schemes were embraced as distractions and her humanity was placed before the Zerg's well being; causing to fear in despire and hopelessness in the wake of discovering the Prophecy herself. Had not Zeratul intervened and warned Raynor, Kerrigan would've succumbed to her own depression and thirst for revenge and accepted her death at the hands of Amon than become the being she's now reborn into in HotS.

This is classic "Evil Overlord Syndrome" right here.

If there was any potential for Kerrigan being the "prophetic threat", Duran would not have just sat by, observed or even helped Kerrigan consolidate more power. He would've killed her the instant he got next to her as any real villain would do. Given the many moving parts that could fail at any time due to this labyrinthine, aeon spanning plan, one would think that a modicum of pragmatism would be present. "Better safe than sorry" should be their bloody motto!

Kerrigan is "purged" of Amon's influence by the Relic.

That's a pretty dumb move on Amon and Duran's part (don't know who deserves the discredit more....). If Kerrigan was still under Amon's influence prior to the artifact, why risk her being free to potentially fulfill the prophesied threat against Amon. That's just asking for trouble. I mean, jeez, was it really that important to have Amon revived at this very moment? All it will do is hasten him back into the grave.

I can understand that if Kerrigan was still under the influence of Amon with the Overmind being dead (which only partially resolves the above matter of Amon forcing the Overmind's suicide) then things could be potentially OK for team Duran/Amon, but then moving forward to completely freeing her without killing her is just....so....lacking in foresight that any form of credibility whatsoever has disappeared into a bottomless pit.

Magnetosphere - "the area of space near an astronomical object in which charged particles are controlled by that object's magnetic field." I think that this is the psionic matrix. Aiur has a psionic matrix, and I believe that is where khalai draw their energy from. I also think that this is where khalai memories are stored and where Tassadar lives. But this is pure speculation obviously.

Oh, hell yes, this! I've always factored Aiur to be somewhat symbiotic (not just symbolic) to the Protoss with that inherent psionic matrix. It gives a sort of Side Meier's Alpha Centari's Planet (Chiron)- feel to them, minus the horrifying mind worms and xenofungus that is.

Zamara explains that they would have merged over aeons, that they wouldn't even notice. Personally, I can't really understand how this would happen without protoss getting assimilated into the swarm.

Exactly. In their current forms, there is no natural and mutual way for them to join, let alone the fact that they'll just try to tear each other apart when placed in the same room. I figured that the only way for this merging to happen is for them to evolve beyond their forms such that they would not be classically recognised as either Protoss or Zerg anymore.

Really, Amon's actions are extremely provincial. What he does doesn't even matter...

What do you know, Gods are small-minded afterall.

Nice theory, but how does this explain the fact that the Overmind was able to disobey its directives?

The only defence I've heard is that it is a form of double-think (I'm going to call it "double-act" because it's based on actual actions): it does one thing that is somehow seen as forwarding the directive but also forwarding the real Overmind's agenda at the same time despite the agenda's of both being contradictory to each other. The whole concept is the basis of ShadowArchon's argumentation style and, much like everything in Sc2 so far, doublethink is anathema to any system of logic. It's nice of Blizzard to not tell us that they're secretly trolling us, isn't it?

So how does Amon get revived then?

Haven't you been listening, Gradius? It's through psionic energy (read: MAGIC)!

Actually, she was preparing the swarms for a great battle during the 4 year interlude. She planned on fighting Amon to begin with, though she had a slightly more defeatist nature about it at the time. The artifact didn't actually do anything. In fact, it was detrimental to the cause since it crippled the swarms, nearly killed Kerrigan, and had some of its energy go to resurrecting Amon.

Man, it's so hard not to be facetious...

Was it in the books that said Kerrigan was preparing to fight the "threat on the horizon"? In WoL, it didn't look like she was prepared for anything - probably just scared and holing up on Char until a threat to her existence was suddenly revealed so she decided to come out. That she pretty much advocates placid suicide to Zeratul (let's just die together, Ok? ) indicates that, too.

The artifact is nothing more than a plot device/excuse for them to reset and write whatever they want. Whatever comes next is irrelevent and mere "details" but the fact is the artifact could've also removed any hidden (read: contrived) hesitance she might have felt because I mean, why not? It's so miraculous in turning her human again, afterall. Meh.

[ragnarok]

You know that this is not what I wrote or implied. My point still stands that in BW, the cerebrates were still very much effective even after the Overmind was killed. The cerebrates seemed to be quite co-ordinated on Shakuras. Being deemed "feral" and "ineffective" is just an informed trait.

Well yeah there was no real case of feral Cerebrates, only the feral Zerg, since most aren't sentient. The Cerebrates certainly are...

You've just proven my point then that Amon could've (or should've if subscribing to Ein's interpretation) killed Overmind right from the get go, especially if this is what Amon really wanted.

Unless Amon cannot control the swarm HIMSELF and needs the hybrids to, which to me seems unlikely.

I wouldn't call failing to kill either Zeratul and the Dark Templar (who were eventually responsible for murdering the gateway cerebrates that were guarding it) and Tassadar (the eventual and actual instrument for its death) as being a "reasonable job" on her part given that it was her sole responsibility on Char. :/ Kerrigan failed in her task - it's as simple as that.

So maybe the Overmind expected her to eventually leave Char and go after them or something, it was never clear for that.

If there was any potential for Kerrigan being the "prophetic threat", Duran would not have just sat by, observed or even helped Kerrigan consolidate more power. He would've killed her the instant he got next to her as any real villain would do. Given the many moving parts that could fail at any time due to this labyrinthine, aeon spanning plan, one would think that a modicum of pragmatism would be present. "Better safe than sorry" should be their bloody motto!

You don't get it, Turalyon. Duran helped her get more power because by the beginning of BW, her psionic power level was still INSUFFICIENT to revive Amon right away. That could be why he helped her, so that once she WAS finally blasted by the artifact, the hybrids would reap the max benefit.

Besides, if you recall from the Hand of Darkness and Phantoms of the Void mission, Duran/Narud was certainly surprised that Kerrigan made it so far, indicating that he too didn't think she was capable of pulling this off. Call it his own arrogance, if you will.

That's a pretty dumb move on Amon and Duran's part (don't know who deserves the discredit more....). If Kerrigan was still under Amon's influence prior to the artifact, why risk her being free to potentially fulfill the prophesied threat against Amon. That's just asking for trouble. I mean, jeez, was it really that important to have Amon revived at this very moment? All it will do is hasten him back into the grave.

You forget that Duran wasn't on Ulaan when Zeratul uncovered the prophecy. It's possible that maybe because of what happened to Raszagal, Duran didn't expect Zeratul to help Kerrigan. Hell, for all we know, when she fought him at the end of Phantoms of the Void, Duran might not have even known that the new infestation was a primal infestation.

What do you know, Gods are small-minded afterall.

That's the problem with being a god. You always underestimate the "little guy."