Protoss Stalkers, Organic or Machine?

[mr. peasant]

There built so, they would all be pretty much the same lore wise as well...so I still don't see how individuality comes into play here.

Not necessarily so. For example, the Terracotta Army in China consists of 8,000 human statues, all of whom have unique faces. The Protoss could easily mimic such a feat, likely mirroring each Stalker's original face.

Honestly, does no one else care about the fact that in war, worrying about having a face is not your top priority? Maybe you should worry about not having a face sticking outside of a machine for that Terrible Terrible Headshot that you know is coming.

When you're going to be stuck with it for life (i.e. long after said war is over), then it would be fairly high up. Moreover, this kind of attention to detail and aesthetics is perfectly in line with the Protoss' 'pretty technology' design theme.

[screw_ball69]

The Terracotta army was not built over night tho. I couldn't see the stalkers being hand built they would need some sort of automated way of assembling them it seems like far to complicated of a construct for just anyone to assemble let alone replicate a face.

[Pandonetho]

When you're going to be stuck with it for life (i.e. long after said war is over), then it would be fairly high up. Moreover, this kind of attention to detail and aesthetics is perfectly in line with the Protoss' 'pretty technology' design theme.

First of all, no way is this design "pretty" at all.
Second of all, having stupid decisions like having a head stick out of a mechanical body increases your chances of death, therefore you shouldn't be worrying about things like "I hope I can talk to my friends soon" you should be worry about "I hope I don't get shot in the face"

[mr. peasant]

The Terracotta army was not built over night tho. I couldn't see the stalkers being hand built they would need some sort of automated way of assembling them it seems like far to complicated of a construct for just anyone to assemble let alone replicate a face.

Everything but the face could be easily mass produced. And even for the face, basic molds from which modifications are made (just like the Terracotta Warriors) is certainly plausible. Imagine each Dark Templar, as part of their transformation process, personally hand craft his/her own face (remember, it's voluntary and planned; unlike Dragoons).

First of all, no way is this design "pretty" at all.
Second of all, having stupid decisions like having a head stick out of a mechanical body increases your chances of death, therefore you shouldn't be worrying about things like "I hope I can talk to my friends soon" you should be worry about "I hope I don't get shot in the face"

But unlike organic units, a machine doesn't specifically require the head to survive (assuming all essential components are located elsewhere). In all likelihood, the 'head' mainly houses sensors (which would be exposed regardless) or even purely ornamental. All of this would likely mean that head-shotting the Stalker would be not nearly as effective as it would be a living creature.

[screw_ball69]

First of all, no way is this design "pretty" at all.
Second of all, having stupid decisions like having a head stick out of a mechanical body increases your chances of death, therefore you shouldn't be worrying about things like "I hope I can talk to my friends soon" you should be worry about "I hope I don't get shot in the face"

there we go with the whole "I hope I can talk to my friends" thing again, Protoss are PSionic damnit they don't need a face to talk, afterall the Dragoons never had a head protruding from there body yet they still managed to communicate even tho being fused to inside of the damn thing. so I don't see why that would come up in the equation at all.

Everything but the face could be easily mass produced. And even for the face, basic molds from which modifications are made (just like the Terracotta Warriors) is certainly plausible. Imagine each Dark Templar, as part of their transformation process, personally hand craft his/her own face (remember, it's voluntary and planned; unlike Dragoons).

I was under the impresion the Dark Templar were a very inmaterial group and didnt care about such things.

[Pandonetho]

But unlike organic units, a machine doesn't specifically require the head to survive (assuming all essential components are located elsewhere). In all likelihood, the 'head' mainly houses sensors (which would be exposed regardless) or even purely ornamental. All of this would likely mean that head-shotting the Stalker would be not nearly as effective as it would be a living creature.

Then there is absolutely no point in having the head there in a first place. This is the equivalent of talking to all your friends through a hand puppet, when they can't see your real head. It's completely pointless. Not only that, it has facial expressions which I would assume are too complex for a machine. If I'm just imagining things and it doesn't have facial expressions, that means we're brought back to the point about just talking to a Terracotta warrior's face, while your friend is in a different room looking at you through cameras implanted in the eyes.

[Norfindel]

Why do you assume that the head is mechanical? I think it's the Dark Templar's head in flesh and blood. At least looks so in the portrait. Doesn't he even scratch his head now and then?

[mr. peasant]

Why do you assume that the head is mechanical? I think it's the Dark Templar's head in flesh and blood. At least looks so in the portrait. Doesn't he even scratch his head now and then?

We can assume it's mechanical since the lore states that the Stalker merely incorporates the essence of the Dark Templar and makes no mention of the physical body at any point. So, unless they then decapitate the Dark Templar (assuming the body isn't destroyed in the process) and then mounting it on the Stalker's body, it's a mechanical one.

[screw_ball69]

We can assume it's mechanical since the lore states that the Stalker merely incorporates the essence of the Dark Templar and makes no mention of the physical body at any point. So, unless they then decapitate the Dark Templar (assuming the body isn't destroyed in the process) and then mounting it on the Stalker's body, it's a mechanical one.

why decapitate them, could always fuse the entire body into it.

[mr. peasant]

why decapitate them, could always fuse the entire body into it.

As I said before, current lore makes no mention of the physical body being involved in the fusing process; only the Protoss' essence (whatever that may be).