Writing a New Starcraft 2 storyline

[ragnarok]

Well, people would all the time go in/out of the project, so who knows?

Yeah, Khas, I miss it too. Someone said at that point that we should wait until SC2 comes out so we can edit that software for the game, but I don't know if that's possible anymore.

Shame. But then, that's a normal drawback.

[Sheliek]

So this thread reminds me of my old Legacy of the Xel'Naga project. I still have the story notes kicking around, if anyone's interested in hearing my alternate StarCraft II story? Fair warning, will require multiple posts.

To jog your memory, this is the project that had six terran tech trees, four zerg and five protoss, plus hybrid. Aim high in life and watch out for flying boxes!

[ragnarok]

So this thread reminds me of my old Legacy of the Xel'Naga project. I still have the story notes kicking around, if anyone's interested in hearing my alternate StarCraft II story? Fair warning, will require multiple posts.

To jog your memory, this is the project that had six terran tech trees, four zerg and five protoss, plus hybrid. Aim high in life and watch out for flying boxes!

Give us a brief look of it first.

[Sheliek]

First campaign was Dominion, concerning their perspective in Queen of Blades, then a later war with KMC and alliance with Umoja. Ends with Warfield, the PC, meeting Zeratul at a Hybrid lab.

Second campaign was Zeratul as the Nerazim faction, working to defeat Ulrezaj and the first awakened hybrid on Shakuras. Whole campaign on Shakuras and a few colonies, yet got pretty intense plot-wise, if I recall. Will find my plot notebook in a bit.

Third campaign was Raynor, taking place concurrent with the ending of Zeratul. Starts on Mar Sara, concerns Tosh, a Confederate assassin, forming a Raiders/Confederacy alliance to take down Mengsk. I had the most done on this, including a jotnote dialogue note section, and it would have concerned Raynor assassinating Mengsk in cold-blood, who in this fanon was trying his best to be a benign dictator. In short, Raynor's descent into antivillainy. Ended with a showdown with Kerrigan, Mengsk's assassination being midway.

- - - Updated - - -

First campaign was Dominion, concerning their perspective in Queen of Blades, then a later war with KMC and alliance with Umoja. Ends with Warfield, the PC, meeting Zeratul at a Hybrid lab.

Second campaign was Zeratul as the Nerazim faction, working to defeat Ulrezaj and the first awakened hybrid on Shakuras. Whole campaign on Shakuras and a few colonies, yet got pretty intense plot-wise, if I recall. Will find my plot notebook in a bit.

Third campaign was Raynor, taking place concurrent with the ending of Zeratul. Starts on Mar Sara, concerns Tosh, a Confederate assassin, forming a Raiders/Confederacy alliance to take down Mengsk. I had the most done on this, including a jotnote dialogue note section, and it would have concerned Raynor assassinating Mengsk in cold-blood, who in this fanon was trying his best to be a benign dictator. In short, Raynor's descent into antivillainy. Ended with a showdown with Kerrigan, Mengsk's assassination being midway.

[Nissa]

I'm not sure about all that. The mission sets don't really feel related enough. Well, speaking as someone who obviously hasn't read your detailed stuff.

I suggest giving Zeratul a minimal role. Someone here (I forget who) mentioned they like Zeratul better as a mysterious character, and the guy's personality is geared more toward leading himself or small groups of highly skilled individuals, rather than large groups of Protoss. Or was that your plan?

...And, well, I have to say this. I really like Mengsk. Not as a person, obviously, but as a fictitious character. He has a strong personality with a great vocabulary and the willingness to do absolutely anything for his purposes. One of my favorite things as a fanfiction writer was writing him and Raynor talking to each other. Thus, I'm against killing him. At least until his character has had a satisfactory arc. He doesn't necessarily need to be redeemed, but it would be ballsy if he showed some kind of regret, if at nothing else than creating his own worst enemy. I'd honestly much rather that Mengsk's activities, rather than Raynor, were the end of him.

Though now that you mention it, the "descent into antivillainy" thing sounds interesting. What's that about?

[Turalyon]

Hmmm, what has this:

First campaign was Dominion, concerning their perspective in Queen of Blades, then a later war with KMC and alliance with Umoja.

Third campaign was Raynor, taking place concurrent with the ending of Zeratul. Starts on Mar Sara, concerns Tosh, a Confederate assassin, forming a Raiders/Confederacy alliance to take down Mengsk. I had the most done on this, including a jotnote dialogue note section, and it would have concerned Raynor assassinating Mengsk in cold-blood, who in this fanon was trying his best to be a benign dictator. In short, Raynor's descent into antivillainy. Ended with a showdown with Kerrigan, Mengsk's assassination being midway.

... got do with this?

So this thread reminds me of my old Legacy of the Xel'Naga project.

I don't wish to offend but to offer some constructive criticism. I actually expected minimal Terran stuff (let it be known that I like the Terrans) what with the title you gave. Was that wrong for me to assume? There is a lot of Terran stuff (2 campaigns!) in your version - much like the current Sc2 being pre-occupied with Terran matters (HotS is less about Zerg than it is about a Terran fighting a Terran based on Terran motivations). I can understand the first campaign being a lead-in type affair (what with the Hybrids coming in towards the end) by why is the third campaign (the last one I presume?) about Raynor and not something more related to the Xel'Naga like your title suggests? It seems entirely disconnected/irrelevant (it has this "And now for something else!" feel to it) with what was building up beforehand. I would have expected something more Zerg related (disregarding the fact that I'm biased towards them for the moment that is) since they are supposedly important to any legacy pertaining to the Xel'Naga. Is there a fourth part?

Someone here (I forget who) mentioned they like Zeratul better as a mysterious character, and the guy's personality is geared more toward leading himself or small groups of highly skilled individuals, rather than large groups of Protoss.

That'd be FanaticTemplar in his kick-ass review. Course, it has to be done properly, too. Sc2 has Zeratul in somewhat minimal doses too but the effect is much less effective given the piss-poor dialogue he emits and the overly obvious expository function he serves in those appearances he makes.

[ragnarok]

First campaign was Dominion, concerning their perspective in Queen of Blades, then a later war with KMC and alliance with Umoja. Ends with Warfield, the PC, meeting Zeratul at a Hybrid lab.

Second campaign was Zeratul as the Nerazim faction, working to defeat Ulrezaj and the first awakened hybrid on Shakuras. Whole campaign on Shakuras and a few colonies, yet got pretty intense plot-wise, if I recall. Will find my plot notebook in a bit.

Third campaign was Raynor, taking place concurrent with the ending of Zeratul. Starts on Mar Sara, concerns Tosh, a Confederate assassin, forming a Raiders/Confederacy alliance to take down Mengsk. I had the most done on this, including a jotnote dialogue note section, and it would have concerned Raynor assassinating Mengsk in cold-blood, who in this fanon was trying his best to be a benign dictator. In short, Raynor's descent into antivillainy. Ended with a showdown with Kerrigan, Mengsk's assassination being midway.

- - - Updated - - -

First campaign was Dominion, concerning their perspective in Queen of Blades, then a later war with KMC and alliance with Umoja. Ends with Warfield, the PC, meeting Zeratul at a Hybrid lab.

Second campaign was Zeratul as the Nerazim faction, working to defeat Ulrezaj and the first awakened hybrid on Shakuras. Whole campaign on Shakuras and a few colonies, yet got pretty intense plot-wise, if I recall. Will find my plot notebook in a bit.

Third campaign was Raynor, taking place concurrent with the ending of Zeratul. Starts on Mar Sara, concerns Tosh, a Confederate assassin, forming a Raiders/Confederacy alliance to take down Mengsk. I had the most done on this, including a jotnote dialogue note section, and it would have concerned Raynor assassinating Mengsk in cold-blood, who in this fanon was trying his best to be a benign dictator. In short, Raynor's descent into antivillainy. Ended with a showdown with Kerrigan, Mengsk's assassination being midway.

It's good to see you brought the KMC back. Those guys needed plenty more mentioning after the Guild Wars...

[Sheliek]

It's good to see you brought the KMC back. Those guys needed plenty more mentioning after the Guild Wars...

The whole story was a lengthy mess of alliances and foes lol

- - - Updated - - -

It's good to see you brought the KMC back. Those guys needed plenty more mentioning after the Guild Wars...

The whole story was a lengthy mess of alliances and foes lol

[Nissa]

That'd be FanaticTemplar in his kick-ass review. Course, it has to be done properly, too. Sc2 has Zeratul in somewhat minimal doses too but the effect is much less effective given the piss-poor dialogue he emits and the overly obvious expository function he serves in those appearances he makes.

Well, that's a given.

One of the things I'd hoped for in a sequel to Starcraft is the rise of the importance of humans. Most of the Terran stuff, even in the original games, is rather trivial when compared to the ambitions of the Zerg or the will of the Xel'Naga. Mengsk is being a powermonger, and the Directorate is being powermongery. It took all of Brood War for Mengsk to realize how serious things were, and the UED probably still doesn't understand all that much about the K Sector.

Naturally, I'd like the missions to go Zerg-Protoss-Terran, as is fitting according to the pattern set by SC and BW. Muspelli, you seem to think so too. In any case, the Zerg missions should be more or less about the Zerg rising up to finally put the rest of the Sector under its thumb, and some event should drive Kerrigan to act. The Protoss, after dealing with much internal drama (which is a given for them at this point), get their act together. Then the Terrans finally get into the main plot, learning whatever they can about the Xel'Naga and how to stop the hybrids.

My preferred end for Mengsk is either that he join up with Raynor one final time but die during that mission, or that he have some strange sort of feeling of responsibility for Kerrigan. Like, maybe the hybrids want her for one reason or another, but Mengsk decides not to abandon her again.

[Turalyon]

One of the things I'd hoped for in a sequel to Starcraft is the rise of the importance of humans.

I know what you mean but really, hasn't Sc2 done exactly this? Taste, story-telling and story-direction issues aside, two-thirds of the Sc2 has been taken up by what is essentially (inane and limited though it may be when focusing on specific individuals that is) Terran affairs.

Most of the Terran stuff, even in the original games, is rather trivial when compared to the ambitions of the Zerg or the will of the Xel'Naga. Mengsk is being a powermonger, and the Directorate is being powermongery. It took all of Brood War for Mengsk to realize how serious things were, and the UED probably still doesn't understand all that much about the K Sector.

I hear what you're saying. There's enough depth in the Terrans to potentially make up a whole game all on it's own to explore their factional interactions. Pity WoL didn't even remotely touch on this in any significant manner.

Naturally, I'd like the missions to go Zerg-Protoss-Terran, as is fitting according to the pattern set by SC and BW. Muspelli, you seem to think so too. In any case, the Zerg missions should be more or less about the Zerg rising up to finally put the rest of the Sector under its thumb, and some event should drive Kerrigan to act. The Protoss, after dealing with much internal drama (which is a given for them at this point), get their act together. Then the Terrans finally get into the main plot, learning whatever they can about the Xel'Naga and how to stop the hybrids.

My preferred end for Mengsk is either that he join up with Raynor one final time but die during that mission, or that he have some strange sort of feeling of responsibility for Kerrigan. Like, maybe the hybrids want her for one reason or another, but Mengsk decides not to abandon her again.

Don't tell Muspelli what to write in his own story!

I don't mind the Terran focus and the general outline of it if that's what he wants to do, I'm just getting myself twisted on the title and how that fits with the overall story. If it wasn't for the title and were I just to read the 3 campaign overview, I probably would have thought to replace the Protoss stuff with even more Terran stuff (like a whole KMC or UP campaign - woot!)!