Random Thoughts Thread

[ragnarok]

Although I like the idea of Protoss losing the Khala, it sucks when they render something that is culturally significant to the Protoss into a binary plot device. Kinda like how they undermined the Zergs "culture" by turning the Overmind into a plot device.

Tell me something Tura: assuming Blizzard never made the primal zerg concept, would you have wanted to see how the zerg worked prior to the Overmind?

[Visions of Khas]

I would have loved better development in LotV as well. Named characters make only one or two passing comments about the Khala, then conveniently forget about it until Amon resurfaces. For something that's been such a monumental part of their lives and culture, they let go of it with far too much ease. Where he could have made mention of his experiences with the Khala, Karax only makes a vague mention of "not feeling Artanis' presence." No commentary from the Purifiers, no mention of whether the Tal'Darim can harness their own Khala, no emotional support from Dark Templar. Nothing. I hated it. (Haha, and this is still the best entry in the trilogy.)

One odd thing I noticed: it is said that Khalai are highly emotive, while Dark Templar are reserved and exhibit a flat affect. Wouldn't this be the other way around? Shouldn't the Khalai, dependent as they are on the Khala, be less emotive with their body language? In compensation, shouldn't Dark Templar rely more on body language and expression? This division of body language along cultural lines would have given an extra interesting dimension to the characters we're presented with.

I also kinda wish we had scenes of Dark Templar refugees and ships in the story space during the Shakuras arc. That would have made it more impacftful, their presence and hardship more readily felt. But maybe having the Spear of Adun surrounded by a cloud of refugee ships would have been too Battlestar Galactica?

[Turalyon]

Tell me something Tura: assuming Blizzard never made the primal zerg concept, would you have wanted to see how the zerg worked prior to the Overmind?

There'd be no point since the Zerg were the most insignificant life form on a hostile world and would've likely become extinct had it not been due to Xel'Naga intervention.

For something that's been such a monumental part of their lives and culture, they let go of it with far too much ease.

Well, they kind of had to because otherwise they'd turn into mindless thralls...

Also, it's probably because the Khala is so ill-defined what with it being many several things at once (an energy source, a communal psychic link, a philosophy/way of thinking, a discipline to harness/enhance psionic powers). It's hard to know what was actually lost since they still have control of and use psionic abilities fairly well and don't seem "weaker" without it. They can't lose a philosophy/way of thinking by cutting off their nerve cords because the nerve cords don't house their knowledge/memories of the disciplines and that they can still learn and practice such philosophy without them. Their communal psychic link has never been portrayed in the games in any direct beneficial fashion either (only indirectly in that it explains how the Protoss on Aiur got to the stage we see them in them as in the present), so it's loss isn't really felt either.

One odd thing I noticed: it is said that Khalai are highly emotive, while Dark Templar are reserved and exhibit a flat affect. Wouldn't this be the other way around? Shouldn't the Khalai, dependent as they are on the Khala, be less emotive with their body language? In compensation, shouldn't Dark Templar rely more on body language and expression? This division of body language along cultural lines would have given an extra interesting dimension to the characters we're presented with.

It's kinda hard to convey when Protoss don't have expressive faces. On the other hand, Protoss wouldn't need to physically express or use body language since they communicate via telepathy, right?

I also kinda wish we had scenes of Dark Templar refugees and ships in the story space during the Shakuras arc. That would have made it more impacftful, their presence and hardship more readily felt. But maybe having the Spear of Adun surrounded by a cloud of refugee ships would have been too Battlestar Galactica?

Now that you bring it up, the Dark Templar didn't really have much of a role/purpose in LotV aside from their planet blowing up. One can almost remove their presence and you'd be none the wiser. What purpose did they or Vorazun serve in the story again?

[sandwich_bird]

Now that you bring it up, the Dark Templar didn't really have much of a role/purpose in LotV aside from their planet blowing up. One can almost remove their presence and you'd be none the wiser. What purpose did they or Vorazun serve in the story again?

Variety? Offering some DT pressence in order to respect their established existence in the universe? They don't need a bigger role really.

Speaking of protoss language, how do they produce sounds on a technical level when they don't rely on telepathy? They would have to manipulate the air around them with telekinesis. Are they born with this ability? Why do they have different voices if there are no biological appendages to define the unique characteristics of their sound? Having different voices would help in differentiating between individuals but presumably it is not a requirement and they could speak in any voice at will.

Which makes me think, how does a Protoss ship contact a Terran ship? In WoL, the toss chick is able to establish AV feed with Ray's BC. For both species to be able to connect, there needs to be some kind of conversion mechanism between the 2 different tech. This tech has somehow existed since SC1 because both races were also communicating to each other with probably similar means. This means that this tech was probably invented on Tass ship because I don't see any way the Confederate or the early Dominion could have made that stuff. Blizz could make a short story about it, and the nameless engineer could be Karax's daddy XD

[Visions of Khas]

Variety? Offering some DT pressence in order to respect their established existence in the universe? They don't need a bigger role really.

The Nerazim seemed to function as the CIA for the protoss refugees. I know several times, Vorazun's spies clued them in to Amon's plans.

Also, it's probably because the Khala is so ill-defined what with it being many several things at once (an energy source, a communal psychic link, a philosophy/way of thinking, a discipline to harness/enhance psionic powers). It's hard to know what was actually lost since they still have control of and use psionic abilities fairly well and don't seem "weaker" without it. They can't lose a philosophy/way of thinking by cutting off their nerve cords because the nerve cords don't house their knowledge/memories of the disciplines and that they can still learn and practice such philosophy without them. Their communal psychic link has never been portrayed in the games in any direct beneficial fashion either (only indirectly in that it explains how the Protoss on Aiur got to the stage we see them in them as in the present), so it's loss isn't really felt either.

See, I never liked the new definitions LotV brought to the Khala. The "new" Khala subsumed the role of the communal link entirely, when originally the communal link formed the basis for the khala. Through the link, energy and emotion flowed, and that power was channeled by warriors and high templar enacting the mental disciplines of the Khala philosophy. Now, we have the Void Rays literally empowered by the Khala[/energy source]. This makes no sense! And how did the High Templar become stronger after losing the Khala?! Did they learn to harness the Void by the same mental training they learned from the Khala[/philosophy/mental training]?

[ragnarok]

I also kinda wish we had scenes of Dark Templar refugees and ships in the story space during the Shakuras arc. That would have made it more impacftful, their presence and hardship more readily felt. But maybe having the Spear of Adun surrounded by a cloud of refugee ships would have been too Battlestar Galactica?

I doubt that, VoK. Remember what Vorazun was saying right after the Amon's Reach mission: that all the Nerazim ships were being escorted by the Spear of Adun. It would show that the Dark Templar weren't finished, as Artanis's forces succeeded in the rescue operation

[ragnarok]

Variety? Offering some DT pressence in order to respect their established existence in the universe? They don't need a bigger role really.

Why not? Remember what Karax was telling Artanis on the bridge (this is before the Solar Core was available): given the loss of the Khala, now they have to look at the DT and to think that they've endured this kind of existence for centuries, so the upcoming days won't be easy.

I had expected there to have been some Dark Templar with a more arrogant mentality with the whole "How does it finally feel to lose the one thing you've tried to force upon us for so long?" against the Khalai on the Spear of Adun....

[Visions of Khas]

I had expected there to have been some Dark Templar with a more arrogant mentality with the whole "How does it finally feel to lose the one thing you've tried to force upon us for so long?" against the Khalai on the Spear of Adun....

Me, too, actually. And I kinda wish it had. Again, maybe between background characters -- a Dark Templar accosts a Zealot, and Artanis or Vorazun intervenes.

[ragnarok]

Me, too, actually. And I kinda wish it had. Again, maybe between background characters -- a Dark Templar accosts a Zealot, and Artanis or Vorazun intervenes.

It certainly would have fit nicely given what Blizzard revealed about the Khalai refugees during their stay on Shakuras, constantly demanding resources from the Nerazim merely to retake Aiur, which quickly caused the Dark Templar to feel they overstayed their welcome.

[Turalyon]

Variety? Offering some DT pressence in order to respect their established existence in the universe? They don't need a bigger role really.

I would have thought that the task of enlisting all those wayward Protoss factions would allow for something more in the narrative than just extra gameplay options. Eh, maybe I'm asking too much?

Vorazun is the representative for the DT but is a wasted character throughout LotV. I almost forgot she was even there beyond being the focus for pity due to the tragedy of having to blow up Shakuras. I still don't understand why they couldn't just trigger the anti-Zerg wipe like they did in BW's The Stand instead of blowing up the planet.

Speaking of protoss language, how do they produce sounds on a technical level when they don't rely on telepathy? They would have to manipulate the air around them with telekinesis. Are they born with this ability? Why do they have different voices if there are no biological appendages to define the unique characteristics of their sound? Having different voices would help in differentiating between individuals but presumably it is not a requirement and they could speak in any voice at will.

If they do it via telekinesis, maybe the organs that are responsible for this are slightly different in each Protoss. Analagous to people all having vocal folds which move or less the same way but still produce different sounding voices due to length, size and other variations, like one's control.

Which makes me think, how does a Protoss ship contact a Terran ship? In WoL, the toss chick is able to establish AV feed with Ray's BC. For both species to be able to connect, there needs to be some kind of conversion mechanism between the 2 different tech. This tech has somehow existed since SC1 because both races were also communicating to each other with probably similar means. This means that this tech was probably invented on Tass ship because I don't see any way the Confederate or the early Dominion could have made that stuff. Blizz could make a short story about it, and the nameless engineer could be Karax's daddy XD

The Protoss have amazing tech and probably met a lot of races that use acoustic signaling as a form of communication. I'm guessing they probably made automatic converters of their telepathic communications on their ships when it comes to hailing other races. Like how analogue signals are made into digital and back again, there's probably another step that the Protoss use where they can convert telepathic signals to analogue signals on their end/in their own ships before it's transmitted to aliens that use acoustic communication.

See, I never liked the new definitions LotV brought to the Khala. The "new" Khala subsumed the role of the communal link entirely, when originally the communal link formed the basis for the khala. Through the link, energy and emotion flowed, and that power was channeled by warriors and high templar enacting the mental disciplines of the Khala philosophy. Now, we have the Void Rays literally empowered by the Khala[/energy source]. This makes no sense! And how did the High Templar become stronger after losing the Khala?! Did they learn to harness the Void by the same mental training they learned from the Khala[/philosophy/mental training]?

So... the Protoss lost the Khala... but the Khala doesn't appear to be any one thing... since they can still do pretty much the same things as before wihtout it... and the reason it's bad is because it's a backdorr for them to be mind-controlled by a Lovecraftian horror and is used as an excuse for Protoss to be uncompromising and unreasonable religious nutjobs. They still retain all the good aspects of it somehow but now none of the bad. Why exactly are the Protoss reluctant, or even upset for that matter, about losing it again?