LOTV Collector's edition speculations

[TheEconomist]

I would like an art book way more. Blizzard's art team is still IMO the best art team out there for videogames.

Besides them saturated the colors and cartoonizing the universe and COMPLETELY missing the point of Zerg, I'd agree with you.

[KaiserStratosTygo]

Besides them saturated the colors and cartoonizing the universe and COMPLETELY missing the point of Zerg, I'd agree with you.

Too be fair, ingame the TEAM colors are far too dull for my liking, but yeah the Zerg are innefficent piles of vaguely-organic sludge, instead of "cutting edge" efficient, thin creatures.

[DemolitionSquid]

Protoss biology is easy to hypothesize.

1. We know Protoss photosynthesize, and honestly they actually make more sense than the immobile photosynthesizing plants we know. Plants gather the most energy from the sun and that energy is slowly dissipated as heat as it travels down the food chain, so carnivorous animals actually receive the least amount of energy from their food. The metabolic efficiency of highly active predators like wolves is amazing when you consider that photosynthetic life should be running around and the most therm-realistic carnivore is the crocodile. Anyway, the average Protoss' highly muscular body is indicative of a species that does not consume fats and has a combat-oriented society.

2. We know they have telepathic and telekinetic abilities which ARE scientifically plausible, if not quite probable. Animals communicate is many non-verbal ways, such as subtle movements and pheromones. Evolving an organ that functions like radio to send and receive scattered energy pulses is completely viable, especially when aided by the technology and genetic manipulation of the Xel'Naga.

3. At this point, the only real unknown with the Protoss is how they reproduce. We know they have males and females. So there's only really two options: eggs or live birth. I will discuss the likelyhood of both.

Protoss appear reptilavian and thus them being egglayers sounds reasonable. If we conciser earth's current long-lived egglayers, the crocodilians, its not a bad way to keep the genes flowing, as crocodilians have survived basically unchanged for over 80 million years. However, crocodilians are amphibious, and relatively solitary. Protoss, on the other hand, are land dwelling, and extremely communal.

Keeping nests safe for extended periods of time is difficult, so if Protoss did lay eggs they'd have to lay large clutches to ensure some eggs survive, which would likely lead to communal nests and herd unity, like herbivorous dinosaurs. If we consider Protoss more like land-dwelling, communal nesting, herbivorous (photosynthetic) dinosaurs, similar to the Ceratopsians or amphibious Hadrosaurids, then egg laying seems obvious.

At least, until we consider Protoss' level of technology.

With Protoss' current technology it would be easy to keep all laid eggs alive. No worry of eggs breaking when being sat on or buried to incubate. No fear of eggs stolen by predators. Better ability to fight off or cure egg and hatchling diseases. So a species that evolved to lay large clutches in anticipation of a few dying would suddenly have a continuing population boom.

And yet, we know that the Protoss don't have much of a population, even before the taking of Auir by the Zerg. We also know they can live over 1000 years before hitting old age. Thus we can reasonably postulate they have a similar breeding cycle to Vulcans, every X years, or Asari, and take X (like 200) years to even become sexually active. They would also have reasonably long gestation periods, its well known that usually, at least here on earth, the bigger the animal the longer it takes the fetus to grow, with Elephants taking 2 years to give birth.

Thus, the more likely situation is that Protoss give live birth, with a long gestation period.

Just don't get me started on Archons >_<

[Turalyon]

3. At this point, the only real unknown with the Protoss is how they reproduce. We know they have males and females. So there's only really two options: eggs or live birth.

Given that their source of nourishment is via photosynthesis and hints at flora/plant origins, why does the form of reproduction have to necessarily entail they have to be fauna/animal like in origins? Plants have equivalents of male/female and can undergo sexual reproduction, too.

[DemolitionSquid]

Given that their source of nourishment is via photosynthesis and hints at flora/plant origins, why does the form of reproduction have to necessarily entail they have to be fauna/animal like in origins? Plants have equivalents of male/female and can undergo sexual reproduction, too.

There's only two "other" ways to reproduce: seeds and budding. Which are basically eggs, and self-cloning through division, or "live birth."

So I'm still technically probably right on target.

[TheEconomist]

At this point, the only real unknown with the Protoss is how they reproduce.

Technically, we do. An official concept artist for StarCraft lore did concept artwork for the Protoss laying eggs. I'm not sure if Blizzard has officially commented on it, but I've heard they have, not that that would make it canon even if they accepted it. But, as far as deep, speculative lore goes, this is as close to canon as we're going to get. It's not like things from official campaigns, books, or even the old campaigns are canon even.

http://starcraft.wikia.com/wiki/Lorcadia

But, well, y'know, Blizzard and what not.

[DemolitionSquid]

Obviously I've seen that art before, and it doesn't change the fact that if we compare the Protoss to evolution on Earth (our only frame of reference) then live birth is the still the more plausible explanation. Unless they use seeds, whom they plant which then grow into trees that blossom and bear baby Protoss as fruit.

Yeah, I'm sticking with live birth.

[TheEconomist]

Before you spoke, you should've tested that line of thinking with almost anything else in the universe, and you would see that, no, the lore does not follow logic or anythign resembling coherency is certain parts. All that we have is that lore. It's the closest thing to canon on the subject. If you want to argue against it based on rationality, you're missing the point.

- - - Updated - - -

Before you spoke, you should've tested that line of thinking with almost anything else in the universe, and you would see that, no, the lore does not follow logic or anythign resembling coherency is certain parts. All that we have is that lore. It's the closest thing to canon on the subject. If you want to argue against it based on rationality, you're missing the point.

[DemolitionSquid]

You're missing the point that until Blizzard actually confirms its canon, its not canon, and thus live birth is still the more logical option based on evolutionary similarities to our only frame of reference, Earth. In fact I wouldn't be surprised if Blizzard decided Protoss did lay eggs, because they're morons and its the least logical option.

[protoswarrior]

Given how convoluted the lore has become, how could they have one?

Convoluted? How so?

I think the storyline was pretty straightforward.