Article: The Philosophy of LotV

[Visions of Khas]

Just found this and thought y'all might want to have a look-see.

The author analyses some of the actions by the Daelaam, commenting that, in the end, "the conflict is ethically seen a dispute between Evil and a lesser Evil." Moreover, on Amon, he states; "It is about an entity lost in its own existence, striving for an understanding of what he is, and a whole civilization’s disdain towards him, their own creation." This particular statement actually holds true for a great many of the characters and separate Protoss factions, at one time or another.

This article may be particularly intriguing for those players who see StarCraft II as a dumbing-down of its predecessor, injecting more grey morality in an ostensibly black-and-white plot.

[ragnarok]

Just found this and thought y'all might want to have a look-see.

The author analyses some of the actions by the Daelaam, commenting that, in the end, "the conflict is ethically seen a dispute between Evil and a lesser Evil." Moreover, on Amon, he states; "It is about an entity lost in its own existence, striving for an understanding of what he is, and a whole civilization’s disdain towards him, their own creation." This particular statement actually holds true for a great many of the characters and separate Protoss factions, at one time or another.

This article may be particularly intriguing for those players who see StarCraft II as a dumbing-down of its predecessor, injecting more grey morality in an ostensibly black-and-white plot.

It's not a bad article. Not sure he got the analysis right about Shakuras's destruction though. If you recall, the Zerg population on Char was at 2 billion in 2500, and increased to over 10 billion by the beginning of WoL. If Shakuras was allowed to survive, Amon could have had the Zerg army increased even faster and everything.

Now yes, the loss of 1 billion Zerg isn't really that big of a deal, as such losses can be made good in 6 months (if you do the math), but then again it'll depend on just what the Protoss strategy against Amon was going to be in terms of how to deal with his Zerg broods.

[Visions of Khas]

but then again it'll depend on just what the Protoss strategy against Amon was going to be in terms of how to deal with his Zerg broods.

Keep in mind that Artanis' ultimate aim was to lure the Hybrids. Those numbers don't reflect on them. It takes momentous amounts of time and energy to produce even one Hybrid. While the destruction of Shakuras may have decimated Amon's standing Zerg army (in the classical sense: destroying one-tenth, which is paltry to the Zerg), the blow to the Hybrid army was far greater. Moreover, who knows what sort buried technologies or weapons on Shakuras Amon could have made use of.



Again, I'd like to point something out. After her ascension, Kerrigan claimed she felt she could destroy worlds. Zurvan stated Amon COULD destroy worlds.

And Artanis? He's the only one who actually follows through.

[ragnarok]

Again, I'd like to point something out. After her ascension, Kerrigan claimed she felt she could destroy worlds. Zurvan stated Amon COULD destroy worlds.

Oh that part on Kerrigan was complete BS long before LotV came out. After the primal transformation, she said she could tear worlds apart. And yet in the "Conviction" mission, it took her awhile just to break through the thick bulkhead door to reach the maximum security prison sector of the Moros.

A pitiful bravado of the power to "tear worlds apart," indeed.

[Turalyon]

I didn't know Protoss had a "seemingly weak physiology" after like, you know, being the pinnacle of evolution and having the label of "purity of form". Arty looks pretty ripped to me.

Not sure what to make of the analogy of the Khala being akin to current social media/networks or the Borg. Seems like a stretch/reading too much into it for the former (with Amon being analogous to the "big bad hacker") and totally inappropriate for the latter (the Borg are more analogous to Zerg if anything).

It's kinda funny that out of this whole essay, his assessment of Amon as an entity/character on its own only entails a couple sentences in the last paragraph. It's a statement without any further exploration which was a pity since that would have been interesting to read.

As to the good chunk of the essay in regard to Fenix/not Fenix, nothing he says there is any more or less than any other sci-fi that's focused on AI or clones hasn't gone on about before (and better at, too). Move along.

In terms of ethics and morality (which I assumed is what the article was supposed to be about being titled Starcraft 2: Battlefield of Ethics), I think what he gets to most appropriately is the dubiousness of the Protoss' actions from both the Dark Templar (represented by Vorazun) and the Purifiers (represented by Fenix/Talandar) in the seemingly unthinking destruction of an entire world just to preserve their own. I was somewhat afraid that he would've dismissed the Nerazim as being always good (even in the past when their forebears were the ones who initiated the Aeon of Strife) but was glad to see him point out that although they are ostensibly supposed to represent the "goodness" of individuality in the current iteration, they actually and also represent the "badness" of individuality in their self-justified obliteration of a planet.

Evil vs lesser evil, indeed! If he found the Protoss morally questionable, it kinda makes me wonder what he thinks of Kerrigan's actions in HotS! Evil vs (designated) evil?

[ragnarok]

Evil vs lesser evil, indeed! If he found the Protoss morally questionable, it kinda makes me wonder what he thinks of Kerrigan's actions in HotS! Evil vs (designated) evil?

Her morals are more along the lines of severe negligence, which for the most part would be the equivalent of hardly any morals at all because she only opened her eyes to it after Raynor's reception to her on the Moros.

[Gradius]

I found most of the comparisons to "contemporary cultural and ethical issues" to be a stretch honestly. I doubt that's what was going through the writers' heads when they were writing it up, though I still think LoTV is the best installment in the SC2 franchise.

The criticism of blowing up Shakuras I take issue with:
1) There's no proof it's "just her decision". He's blaming it on her when really there could have been an interim council called in the meantime in the background with representatives from all Nerazim tribes.
2) An evil act? Really? Of all things, LoTV did a great job demonstrating how necessary it was. We spend a whole mission evacuating the planet. If you value the environment more than sapient lives, something is wrong. The destruction of Shakuras was a big deal and I doubt it was made lightly.
3) Comparing the destruction of Shakuras to scorched Earth warfare is pretty flawed. There are no resources Amon really needs there, and that is not why they are blowing it up. The few Nerazim that might have been stranded on the planet would have suffered a worse fate most likely by either being hybridized or brutally murdered by Amon's zerg.
4) He concludes that it doesn't matter if we endure at least "not at all cost", except the game makes it pretty clear the Daelaam are essentially fighting to preserve all life in the sector from Amon as well as the entirety of their species. It's not "to make their lives easier", it's literally to survive. Would he be cool with humanity going extinct because he cares about the environment? Come on...

I think the Purifier arcs is one of the best in SC2. Sure, it's been done before, but I always enjoy it when it's done well.

But:

Interestingly, the first act of Artanis’s new ally after their release from stasis is to purify the moon Endion, which their ship was orbiting, from Amon’s Zerg, but effectively destroying all life on it. This poses another atrocity performed by the supposedly ‘good’ in Legacy of the Void.

This again? As whatever remaining animal on the planet, I'd definitely pick getting incinerated over getting killed and reduced to biomass by Amon's zerg. They're indirectly saving lives by denying Amon's armies the ability to grow.

[ragnarok]

This again? As whatever remaining animal on the planet, I'd definitely pick getting incinerated over getting killed and reduced to biomass by Amon's zerg. They're indirectly saving lives by denying Amon's armies the ability to grow.

All they did was slow it down, Gradius. And it's not like losing the 1 billion Zerg made THAT big a difference, though Artanis certainly thought it would. There's 5 billion Zerg still on Aiur. Amon lost 1 billion due to Shakuras's destruction, he'll just take another billion off Aiur, everything made good in less than a few minutes.

[Visions of Khas]

I found most of the comparisons to "contemporary cultural and ethical issues" to be a stretch honestly. I doubt that's what was going through the writers' heads when they were writing it up, though I still think LoTV is the best installment in the SC2 franchise.

Mm, I actually read a little bit of "contemporary cultural and ethical issues" in there regarding peace, tolerance and acceptance. I'm not sure I'd equate the Khala with social networking... but it IS scary when you get groupthink and echo chambers forming passionate, unthinking brigades. Hah, just check out Reddit right now.

[ragnarok]

Mm, I actually read a little bit of "contemporary cultural and ethical issues" in there regarding peace, tolerance and acceptance. I'm not sure I'd equate the Khala with social networking... but it IS scary when you get groupthink and echo chambers forming passionate, unthinking brigades. Hah, just check out Reddit right now.

You know VoK, never really got into Reddit too much. Curious what you're trying to get at with your idea with the Khala and in Reddit's case.