Campaign Portraits

[Gradius]

The SCII beta ran (no pun intended) with the idea that Zealots briefly assume an energy form during their dashes, and the animation reflected that. But it seems like they scaled back on that approach; now, it just seems as though it's cybernetic leg enhancements.

Yeah I guess it depends on whether you consider all the old starcraft2.com information to be canon. It's been pulled, so this is probably not a thing anymore.

[sandwich_bird]

My theory is the Protoss have specialized psionic organs for synthesizing nutrients out of pure energy and breaking down cellular waste. This would all be from XelNaga protogenetic manipulations and in the past they were more like normal creatures that ingested food. So when they merge into an archon they pretty much ramp up these organs into overdrive so that they can synthesize a new being by using the existing body as a resource. Then the zealot's charge ability is pretty much the same thing but only lasts a microsecond and just reforms the zealot into its original state.

I like that version. Sounds cool and it makes sense.

[NikoMyCousin]

I have a pretty big dislike for Aldaris remastered



Everything else is pretty great though.

Don't really care much for Raynor too but its not as bad as Aldaris

[Turalyon]

Lifeforms need to consume energy and nutrients whether they are carbon based or not. Even robots require fuel and maintenance. Even plants have to consume dirt and air to get their needed nutrients; they need sunlight only to turn carbon dioxide and water into sugar.

Keep in mind that I didn't doubt that Protoss need to consume nutrients/gain energy, just the means of how they do so. You were arguing for a specific way in which they consumed nutrients/gain energy (through a "mouth" orifice and via "eating") based on the assumption that the Protoss are like "life" as humans know of it. I'm saying that that's difficult to assume given that they are fictional alien beings who have been somewhat engineered through their evolution by other, higher order alien beings and can generate amazing powers from some nebulous energy source that may have its origins both external and internal to their bodies. Really, Grad's arguing along a similar line to what I'm saying.

I have a pretty big dislike for Aldaris remastered

Ugh. Me too. Then again, nothing screams "arsehole" more than having constant arched eyebrow ridges and poncy, glowing orbs around your head.

[Visions of Khas]

Well, Misalgnissa is right. As a matter of thermo dynamics, Gradius' theory wouldn't work; the energy input needed to form nutrients internally in that manner, as well as the waste disposal method, would easily exceed the energy gain.

... Again, if we're talking hard scifi.

[Gradius]

Well, Misalgnissa is right. As a matter of thermo dynamics, Gradius' theory wouldn't work; the energy input needed to form nutrients internally in that manner, as well as the waste disposal method, would easily exceed the energy gain.

... Again, if we're talking hard scifi.

How so? The energy of the Khala/Void (which is huge) is being converted to matter, and the cellular waste (matter) is being converted to energy so you have somewhat of an equilibrium. Then the manual says that the protoss are such powerful psychics that they inadvertently send out psychic ripples which can damage other lifeforms, so they'd have to have even more energy left over that their body needs to radiate out.

But yeah, if we're talking hard sci fi, living tissue organs by themselves can't conjure up that kind of energy, but starships also have nowhere near the energy to move faster than light, among a bunch of other things in StarCraft.

[Mislagnissa]

Keep in mind that I didn't doubt that Protoss need to consume nutrients/gain energy, just the means of how they do so. You were arguing for a specific way in which they consumed nutrients/gain energy (through a "mouth" orifice and via "eating") based on the assumption that the Protoss are like "life" as humans know of it. I'm saying that that's difficult to assume given that they are fictional alien beings who have been somewhat engineered through their evolution by other, higher order alien beings and can generate amazing powers from some nebulous energy source that may have its origins both external and internal to their bodies. Really, Grad's arguing along a similar line to what I'm saying.

You’re right, I wasn’t thinking alien enough.

Even so, the xel’naga haven’t otherwise been shown to so completely alter the basic body plan of their experiments. When they experimented on the original Zerg parasites, they didn’t alter the zerg into being physically unrecognizable. In fact, they were surprised when the Zerg developed this capability all by themselves. The fact that the xel'naga had to search for organisms meeting their vague prerequisites would suggest that they cannot make such radical alterations in the body plan.

If Protoss always ate through their skin (which seems to be sufficiently alien, right?), this would suggest that was normal for whatever order of animals the Protoss evolved from (carnivorous plant/animal symbiotes?). Aiur seems to be inhabited by Terran black panthers that explode into blue flames upon death, but the art in SC1 wasn’t terribly consistent to begin with and they aren’t descended from plants AFAIK.

The LotV Field Manual claims they have no orifices at all, three hearts (but not other organs?), and that all perception, breathing, eating and excreting is done through the skin. This despite eye sockets counting as orifices, portraits showing their chests rising/falling as though breathing (even wearing gas masks), and wearing any clothing would be impractical.

I can accept Protoss using their skin as a digestive system (without any psychic shenanigans), but not as a respiratory system, a sensory system and photovoltaic array too.

They should have spiracles/gills in their chins/cheeks and lungs, and these almost certainly play a role in body language if the dark Templar veils are anything to go on (also, expressionless faces are just plain boring and my entire problem with SC2 portraits). They should have their visual, auditory and psychic sensory organs concentrated in their heads rather than somewhere obscured by clothing or armor. They should gain energy and nourishment from external sources, which they eat and poop using their skin (maybe the scales are teeth? IDK).

Maybe they use specific parts for entry and exit to maximize efficiency. For example, eating with the palms or pooping from the anterior of the torso.

The fiery death has so many retcons associated with it that I cannot determine whether it’s artistic license or not. Maybe, like humans, protoss leave remains in various states of intactness ranging from ashes to complete corpses. The flames might be the result of a chemical reaction rather than purely psychic (but Protoss certainly augment their physiology with their psychic powers).

[sandwich_bird]

A bit off-topic but after reading those last posts, I'm unclear on 2 things regarding the current lore with the post-sc2 retcons:

-The XN in vanilla where described as nomad scientists of sorts right? But with the retcons, I don't understand who/what modified the protoss and the zerg or if this even happened at all. My understanding was that everything that was previously referenced as XN work (the re-engineering, temples, etc) were now Amon's agents(Duran's specie? or is he a XN too?) work. So I guess what I'm asking is, what's the short version of what happened during the XN "era" following the retcons?(the timeframe when the zerg and protoss came to be)

-The fiery death thing. I thought Protoss were being teleported out of battle and that's what was causing the blue flame effect. Was that retconned or was that always wrong?

[Undeadprotoss]

A bit off-topic but after reading those last posts, I'm unclear on 2 things regarding the current lore with the post-sc2 retcons:


-The fiery death thing. I thought Protoss were being teleported out of battle and that's what was causing the blue flame effect. Was that retconned or was that always wrong?

In SC1, the Bengalass (a critter on Aiur) would do the firey death thing whenever it died (also had yellow glowing eyes like the Protoss) I wonder if that implied the firey death thing was biological and perhaps even a "soul" of sorts. The teleportation retcon only came with SC1, so I genuinely think, especially when we factor in the High Templar death animation having him float into the sky, that they kind of meant it in a spirtual way.

That's one of the things I really liked about the original Starcraft, it can pull off stuff like that while still keeping a pr

[Visions of Khas]

I can accept Protoss using their skin as a digestive system (without any psychic shenanigans), but not as a respiratory system, a sensory system and photovoltaic array too.

Why not? Plenty of animals function this way. Sharks rely on electroreception; hag fish ingest nutrients via their skin; and frogs hear through tympani.

With regard to respiration, I've come to view the buccal ridges as being involved. Which makes me wonder what sort of function the mandibular protuberances serve, aside from being a secondary sexual characteristic among males. (There's pronouced dimorphism between the sexes; females clearly display neotenous characteristics through their smoother skin. So it's possible the "horns" on some males serve no other function at all. The golden chin cap is a clear reference to ancient egyptian culture, and being equivalent to a beard.)

I could totally get behind the idea that the Protoss skulls are jawless but keep their mouths and trachea in roughly the same place.

I just realized you referenced my artwork! Eee!