Nissa finally caves in.

[Sheliek]

If we use 'pure' to mean 'perfect', which is an acceptable definition, it kind of makes sense. Purity of essence makes sense as being able to perfectly make use of all genetic information they encounter. Purity of form makes less sense, until you remove the Khala from the equation.

Purity of essence: poetic space-god speak for 'able to perfectly use all life as it needs to.'
Purity of form: poetic space-god speak for 'perfect as-is.'

But I am tired, and maybe purity of form was something else, it's been a few weeks. But if both of those are accurate, the requirement of both makes sense. The pure-of-essence are able to improve upon the already as-perfect-as-otherwise-possible = xel'naga.

[ragnarok]

I'll be very interested in this opinion - been looking for someone to try and review it as a whole rather than individually. I've long held that ever since HotS came out, Sc2 would not make for a very cohesive trilogy when LotV was to be released due to LotV being inherently and completely different from what came before. Ever since WoL and HotS came out, the Protoss are somewhat tangential to the actual main goings-on in those two installments since the focus is on Terran matters (yes, even HotS, which is supposed to be about Zerg, is really about a "Terran" woman exacting revenge on a "Terran" man who killed another "Terran" man for wholly "Terran" reasons).

This was a reason why I had argued you cannot judge HotS on its own because it's part of a trilogy. Many people had said that the story sucked balls because it was nothing about revenge, and that Kerrigan's stupidity had left the terrans completely defenseless and easy pickings for Amon.

But after LotV, you can try looking at it another way. All we have to do is go right back to HotS mission 3, just as Kerrigan heard the announcement of Raynor's "death." I still argue that right BEFORE that moment, she was considering abandoning the whole revenge plot.

Now, let's pretend she actually did that. Zeratul would still have contacted her and all of course, she just wouldn't listen. It's likely by this point in time, Zeratul already know what Duran did with the artifact and how it helped Amon. Once Amon is free from the void, he would have targeted Kerrigan anyway. Assuming she even tried to reunite the swarm, never going to Zerus would have meant most of the swarm would have fallen Amon's control, WAY more than just the 5 billion feral Zerg on Aiur.

That would mean not only would Kerrigan have to deal with Amon's hybrid army, his enslaved Zerg broods, but also Mengsk and the Dominion. Not to mention the Dominion had a hybrid breeding program, which Duran was using to his advantage in playing Mengsk for a fool.

Assuming Duran was NOT going to spring the trap to betray Mengsk and leave the artifact in the palace with him, Artanis would have been hard pressed to obtain the keystone, since only Raynor and his Raiders are allies with the Protoss, the Dominion military is not. Furthermore, with the whole Khala corruption and the loss of virtually the whole Golden Armada, Artanis's forces aboard the Spear of Adun would have been too weak to fight the Dominion military (since we're operating under the assumption that Kerrigan did not seek out revenge, so therefore the whole Dominion fleet would have been left intact). The Keystone, therefore, would have remained in Mengsk's hands, at least until Duran decides to spring the trap.

Furthermore, Zeratul's plan to awaken the Xel'Naga to fight Amon was sound, but he did NOT factor in the possibility Amon already thought of that and killed the other Xel'Naga at Ulnar. With them gone, the only hope lay with the Keystone (just as LotV explained), which is currently in the hands of a tyrant who blantantly ignores all reality no matter what. If Duran sprang the trap and took the Keystone from him, who knows where it would have ended up, but likely in a place where Artanis would NEVER succeed in getting it.

In addition, due to the hybrids enslaving Moebius corps as they were building the hybrids, it wouldn't surprise me if the hybrids in the Dominion program could have done the same thing to the Dominion military. If that happened, Amon would have held everything: the enslaved Golden Armada, a much greater number of enslaved Zerg, the enslaved Moebius Corps, and the enslaved Dominion military.

The only forces left to oppose him would have been a very weakened swarm (assuming Kerrigan even chose to reunite the Zerg), the Raiders (too small in number under Raynor), and what little forces Artanis has with the Spear of Adun.

.

Therefore, the Q you should be asking isn't about the whole revenge plot. Rather, what you should ask is: if Kerrigan really HAD abadoned the whole revenge matter, would the alternative really have been better?

- - - Updated - - -

If we use 'pure' to mean 'perfect', which is an acceptable definition, it kind of makes sense. Purity of essence makes sense as being able to perfectly make use of all genetic information they encounter. Purity of form makes less sense, until you remove the Khala from the equation.

Purity of essence: poetic space-god speak for 'able to perfectly use all life as it needs to.'
Purity of form: poetic space-god speak for 'perfect as-is.'

But I am tired, and maybe purity of form was something else, it's been a few weeks. But if both of those are accurate, the requirement of both makes sense. The pure-of-essence are able to improve upon the already as-perfect-as-otherwise-possible = xel'naga.

There's no such thing as "perfect as it is". One way or another, however small or large, you WILL have to adapt to changing environments. This is a fundamental biological process. Otherwise, why the hell does anyone ever have to evolve in the first place?

[Sheliek]

The follow-up version was more accurate to my meaning: 'as perfect as otherwise possible.'

[Turalyon]

If we use 'pure' to mean 'perfect', which is an acceptable definition, it kind of makes sense. Purity of essence makes sense as being able to perfectly make use of all genetic information they encounter.

Not really. The term "essence" has literally and figuratively nothing to do with "being able to perfectly make use of all genetic information" nor was this particular distinction "revealed" in Sc2 actually being required at all. The manual actually explains it best in how the Protoss are deemed a failure because their "essence" (their spirit/ethos/soul or whatever other synonym) was corrupted when being confronted with change (ie: the Xel'Naga's overt presence/ direct interference following first contact with the Protoss) and they thereforce decided to make a lifeform that was pure of "essence" as a result (unlike the Protoss, this race would be able to endure change of any kind but it's essence/spirit/ethos/soul would be pure throughout).

Purity of form makes less sense, until you remove the Khala from the equation.

It makes perfect sense in the manual and it's simple to understand, too. Purity of Form is about simply perfect physicality, nothing more and nothing less.

Purity of essence: poetic space-god speak for 'able to perfectly use all life as it needs to.'
Purity of form: poetic space-god speak for 'perfect as-is.'

No, no. The Xel'Naga were originally just scientists. It would make sense for them use apt scientific terminology to classify their observations, not "poetic god speak". Lol

This was a reason why I had argued you cannot judge HotS on its own because it's part of a trilogy. Many people had said that the story sucked balls because it was nothing about revenge, and that Kerrigan's stupidity had left the terrans completely defenseless and easy pickings for Amon...

...Now, let's pretend she actually did that....

...Therefore, the Q you should be asking isn't about the whole revenge plot. Rather, what you should ask is: if Kerrigan really HAD abadoned the whole revenge matter, would the alternative really have been better?

Sorry, Rag. All of this has nothing to do with what I was talking about. Also, one shouldn't have to "pretend" unless one is given distinct reason to by the narrative. The question at hand is about the trilogy as a whole and what it's ultimately supposed to be about. It's kinda messy when seen as a whole since it doesn't seem to know whether it's all about Kerrigan or whether it's all about Amon, Hybrids and Xel'Naga stuff.

[KaiserStratosTygo]

"Also, the eye flare is fine. Seriously people."

Nah.

"HotS was not the worst either."

Sure it is, well, maybe second to C&C4 twilight, but I never bothered to finish that piece of shit game.

"The epilogue wasn't even bad"

Nope, it was bad, weird would be a godsend.

it was shit, the most hamfisted, forced and stupid ending they could possibly have gone.

"I'd wager it's hard to do universe-spawning deities without weirdness being inevitable."

which is why it should not be done, Blizzard dug this hole.

[Sheliek]

Was gonna deliberately reword your responses to your deliberately reworded quotes, but nah: you are the most unpleaseable nitpicker I've ever seen, just throwing that out there.

EDIT: First part was wrong so I need sleep. Second part was still correct.

[ragnarok]

Nope, it was bad, weird would be a godsend.

it was shit, the most hamfisted, forced and stupid ending they could possibly have gone.

It wasn't crap, Stratos. Just greater sacrifices should have been needed. Let Kerrigan ascend, but have her use up the power just to drop Amon's barrier. Let the Protoss people finish the job.

[drakolobo]

the Judicators not disappeared, the conclave, old Judicators disappeared, being the power vacuum, the Protoss turned their support to the leaders of the Templar caste hierarchy even had two judictore, nahaan and zekrath. urun Templar caste had contempt vs Nahaan leadership aspirations and showed zekrath belief that artanis was the only viable leader, the Judicators besides low level adopt a bureaucratic role in their younger members, as Templars police and soldiers, and Khalai assistants masters the phase

[Sheliek]

If I had to make a guess about the whole judicator mess, I'd wager they still serve a social role as opposed to a political one. Tactical advisors, whatever you'd call Khalai priests, things like that. It's evident, all the same, they're still around and still functional members of Daelaam society in some capacity.

That's a thing to ask in any lore Q&As that come up, I'd say.

[ragnarok]

If I had to make a guess about the whole judicator mess, I'd wager they still serve a social role as opposed to a political one. Tactical advisors, whatever you'd call Khalai priests, things like that. It's evident, all the same, they're still around and still functional members of Daelaam society in some capacity.

That's a thing to ask in any lore Q&As that come up, I'd say.

They would be around, though even after everything that's happened, I still bet they wouldn't have learned. After reading the DT Saga, it seemed that Nahaan and his Ara tribe still didn't really learn much despite the loss of Aiur to the Zerg. You could easily see in that book that a part of him still wanted a greater say in things, perhaps even going back to the old Conclave's ways.

This is exactly the problem with people who held power for so long: it takes quite a while before they can understand that power has been taken from them. And since the Conclave ruled Aiur for 3000 years and the Ara Tribe dominated the Conclave, I just don't think they understand.

I wouldn't be surprised that with Amon gone, the judicators would argue that it's ok to get the Khala back again, since that had proven the only way to unite the Protoss people back then.