Did Raynor tell Kerrigan she's supposed to save the universe?

[Visions of Khas]

Y'know, one thing I've noticed so many people complain about around here are stupid decisions made by characters. I'm not too offended by that cinematic for two reasons: 1.) I realize I'm not exactly the target demographic, and StarCraft was never meant to be this super-cereal story; and 2.) Humans, caught up in the moment of adrenaline, anger or fear, do stupid things. I mean, we all sit here and analyze and psycho-analyze every little action, thereby dehumanizing it. Humans are NOT logical creatures -- far from it! If I was a super psychic who was reared by a terrorist and has known nothing but war my whole life, I might do the same thing! There's this undercurrent of self-destructive tendencies in Kerrigan's arc which many fail to grasp. This is just another example of it.

[ragnarok]

To me, the worst part was to see a weakened Kerrigan charge Zeratul in melee.
Of all things.
She is in the middle of her headquarters, she can get massive backup in thirty seconds, she can cast psionic blasts from range, and her first move is to jump on the guy that can cut a siege tank in half. It is fortunate that Zeratul wasn't there to kill her, because it was definitely harder to facepalm her than to stab her in the face.

Would you expect otherwise? Kerrigan admitted to Zeratul on Zerus that he had MUCH more reason to kill her than anyone else, which implies she still remembered what happened to Razsagal. If she didn't expect him to get on the Leviathan to kill her, what WOULD she have suspected.

In addition, remember that many of the Dark Templar are assassins, just like she was during the Confederacy. By the time Zeratul got on the Leviathan, you had only completed the Char missions or the Kaldir missions, meaning the swarm is still only a shadow of its former self.

Kerrigan never underestimated Zeratul's fighting skills, it's entirely possible for him to kill all the Zerg guarding the way to her chambers...

[Gradius]

Y'know, one thing I've noticed so many people complain about around here are stupid decisions made by characters. I'm not too offended by that cinematic for two reasons: 1.) I realize I'm not exactly the target demographic, and StarCraft was never meant to be this super-cereal story; and 2.) Humans, caught up in the moment of adrenaline, anger or fear, do stupid things. I mean, we all sit here and analyze and psycho-analyze every little action, thereby dehumanizing it. Humans are NOT logical creatures -- far from it! If I was a super psychic who was reared by a terrorist and has known nothing but war my whole life, I might do the same thing! There's this undercurrent of self-destructive tendencies in Kerrigan's arc which many fail to grasp. This is just another example of it.

Kerrigan spent the vast majority of her life as a trained assassin. Assassins have to be highly intelligent and capable of keeping their emotions under control during stressful situations. Furthermore, Kerrigan is pedaled to us as an extremely intelligent commander in HoTS.

[ragnarok]

Kerrigan spent the vast majority of her life as a trained assassin. Assassins have to be highly intelligent and capable of keeping their emotions under control during stressful situations. Furthermore, Kerrigan is pedaled to us as an extremely intelligent commander in HoTS.

Careful, Gradius. That's not ENTIRELY true. She started off as a Confederate Ghost operative, thus subjected to neural inhibitors and mind control, until she was finally freed by Mengsk in 2491. For the next 9 years, she was free to make her own choices, but it's not ENTIRELY that, as Mengsk did try to exhibit SOME control over her.

That's why only when she met Raynor on Antiga Prime in Jan 2500 did she meet up with someone who was willing to let her make all the choices to herself.

By Flashpoint however, Kerrigan was somewhat disappointed because Raynor had wanted her to be something she didn't want, which frustrated her. That, combined with being ruthlessly hunted down by Mengsk throughout that book, left her emotional state rather unstable.

[Turalyon]

Y'know, one thing I've noticed so many people complain about around here are stupid decisions made by characters. I'm not too offended by that cinematic for two reasons: 1.) I realize I'm not exactly the target demographic, and StarCraft was never meant to be this super-cereal story; and 2.) Humans, caught up in the moment of adrenaline, anger or fear, do stupid things. I mean, we all sit here and analyze and psycho-analyze every little action, thereby dehumanizing it. Humans are NOT logical creatures -- far from it! If I was a super psychic who was reared by a terrorist and has known nothing but war my whole life, I might do the same thing! There's this undercurrent of self-destructive tendencies in Kerrigan's arc which many fail to grasp. This is just another example of it.

I think being a super-psychic would be something that would exclude you from being a "normal human".

Stupid things/decisions that characters make are fine if there is appropriate context to allow one to understand why the stupid thing/decision was made. Because of Kerrigan being hit with a character reset button at the end of WoL, we really have no idea what she remembers, thinks or feels of things in her recent past is really still the same. We have to resort to cherry-picking reasons that may or may not be true. If the footing is poor or obscure, we can't begin to understand why a decision was made and thus, relegate it as stupid.

Some people rail at Kerrigan's petulance and stupid decisions in BW as well but by and large, those decisions make sense in that she was still a continuation of her character at the time. You have an expert assassin (think of the type of mind one would need to have in order to do this as daily job) that is betrayed by the closest people she ever knows, becomes further traumatised by having her physical nature changed, granted enormous power and compelled into servitude to an alien mind that goes on to leave her by dying all whilst still being fully aware of everything that has happened ever since. You have someone who has always been a tool to someone else and taught to kill, whose only link is the master they serve being suddenly left alone by said masters through either death or betrayal. Well if that's the case sister, it's time to start doing things for oneself, amirite? This is why I don't buy "the infestation did it" as the sole reason for her vindictiveness towards others - it's too simplistic.

Hots is an attempt to recapture what Kerrigan already did and had in BW but with a more muddied/obtuse recent history. Once again, the reframing of Kerrigan's character in WoL had a large hand in leading to this.

[ragnarok]

Some people rail at Kerrigan's petulance and stupid decisions in BW as well but by and large, those decisions make sense in that she was still a continuation of her character at the time. You have an expert assassin (think of the type of mind one would need to have in order to do this as daily job) that is betrayed by the closest people she ever knows, becomes further traumatised by having her physical nature changed, granted enormous power and compelled into servitude to an alien mind that goes on to leave her by dying all whilst still being fully aware of everything that has happened ever since. You have someone who has always been a tool to someone else and taught to kill, whose only link is the master they serve being suddenly left alone by said masters through either death or betrayal. Well if that's the case sister, it's time to start doing things for oneself, amirite? This is why I don't buy "the infestation did it" as the sole reason for her vindictiveness towards others - it's too simplistic.

Hots is an attempt to recapture what Kerrigan already did and had in BW but with a more muddied/obtuse recent history. Once again, the reframing of Kerrigan's character in WoL had a large hand in leading to this.

It never was, Turalyon. This was shown in HotS. Kerrigan admitted to Zurvan of Amon's influence, but that ALONE only played PART of the picture. That's why she knew she couldn't shift the blame to that.

For her character in WoL, well she was largely resigned to death anyways because she didn't believe she could win, so it was better just to fight Amon and let the swarm go out in a blaze of glory. That mentality began to change at the end of Flashpoint, on her way to the Umojan facility.

Ironically enough, it switched back by the end of HotS, since she admitted to Stukov there's no way to beat Amon with just the swarm alone. Besides, given the Protoss campaign, everyone is expecting her actions in leading the swarm against Amon to end of failure anyway.

[Turalyon]

It never was, Turalyon. This was shown in HotS.

I know. I was of this opinion then without requiring HotS to spell it out as such later anyway.

For her character in WoL, well she was largely resigned to death anyways because she didn't believe she could win, so it was better just to fight Amon and let the swarm go out in a blaze of glory.

... which is an arbitrary character development that gets dumped in our laps without any lead-up characterisation. The artifact effects and subsequent selective amnesia just make it more difficult to understand what's really going on in Kerrigan's head at any given time.

Besides, given the Protoss campaign, everyone is expecting her actions in leading the swarm against Amon to end of failure anyway.

I don't see why this should be the default stance given everything that Sc2 has been at pains to point out so far is the importance of Kerrigan being somehow instrumental to Amon's defeat.

[ragnarok]

... which is an arbitrary character development that gets dumped in our laps without any lead-up characterisation. The artifact effects and subsequent selective amnesia just make it more difficult to understand what's really going on in Kerrigan's head at any given time.

Yeah, the searching for the artifact Q was raised at Blizzcon 2011. Metzen explained that Kerrigan was convinced the swarm can't beat Amon, but she wanted to fight him her own way, which meant WITHOUT terran and Protoss meddling.

That was why she looked for the Xel'Naga relic, believing that if others had it, it would pose an interference to her personal war with Amon.

To me, that's a very weak reasoning. Hell, even up to RIGHT NOW, Blizzard still hasn't answered just what the artifact's ORIGINAL role is, despite what it has been used for so far...

I don't see why this should be the default stance given everything that Sc2 has been at pains to point out so far is the importance of Kerrigan being somehow instrumental to Amon's defeat.

Neither do I. We need to wait for LotV for that. Zeratul did not reveal the FULL picture to Raynor and Kerrigan in WoL and HotS regarding the prophecy, remember?

[Gradius]

Careful, Gradius. That's not ENTIRELY true. She started off as a Confederate Ghost operative, thus subjected to neural inhibitors and mind control, until she was finally freed by Mengsk in 2491. For the next 9 years, she was free to make her own choices, but it's not ENTIRELY that, as Mengsk did try to exhibit SOME control over her.

That's why only when she met Raynor on Antiga Prime in Jan 2500 did she meet up with someone who was willing to let her make all the choices to herself.

By Flashpoint however, Kerrigan was somewhat disappointed because Raynor had wanted her to be something she didn't want, which frustrated her. That, combined with being ruthlessly hunted down by Mengsk throughout that book, left her emotional state rather unstable.

What are you talking about? I'm talking about the fact that her job (with the Confederacy and Mengsk) is something that required intelligence and keeping emotions in check during stressful situations.

[ragnarok]

What are you talking about? I'm talking about the fact that her job (with the Confederacy and Mengsk) is something that required intelligence and keeping emotions in check during stressful situations.

Yes it is. And that's why you argued that hearing Raynor's "death" and her flying into a rage like that made no sense.

I told you on the battlenet forums that people do crazy things.

When I was 15, my dad was driving me home from school one rainy night, one guy cut another guy off on the highway. As a result, that guy followed the guy who cut him off all the way back home and put a bullet in him, putting him in critical condition in the hospital.