StarCraft Campaign Thoughts and Impressions

[Turalyon]

I don't understand what her personal interests have to do with anything. What I'm pointing out is that Kerrigan was more than a weapon. She was a replacement for the Overmind, should it die. This is why she was given more free control than the Cerebrates.

Her personal interests are important in that they do not align with that of the Zerg or Overmind in general. She is only out for herself, not for the Swarm. Her freedom from the OM influence in BW is a testament to that. The Zerg are little more than slaves to Kerrigan than they were to the OM when originally conceived and that is the point I'm making. I sincerely doubt the OM would want it's children to be playthings to meet the personal whims of a childish individual such as Kerrigan (such as what happened in BW). The OM only allowed her leeway in SC1 because it knew she was on a leash, albeit with a long lead...

Also, I tend to think Kerrigan was given more free control because some individualism was needed as a limiting trait for psionic power to be integrated and work properly in the Swarm. It may explain why normal infestation is not enough to incorporate psionic power because if it was that easy to incorporate, the Swarm would have warriors with psionic powers by now.

I really don't understand this. The Overmind was despairing of defeating the Protoss without Kerrigan, so it dumps a lot of energy into finding Kerrigan, how does it make sense to then go and try to defeat the Protoss without Kerrigan? It's like setting off on a journey to throw the One Ring down Mount Doom and leaving the Ring back home because you don't want to risk it falling into the wrong hands.

I'm not entirely sure it was despairing more than it was relishing it's clash with the Protoss. Whatever the case, the OM does not want to use Kerrigan in the strictest sense - it wants to harness her psionic potential for the Swarm (Kerrigan herself is just a shell really) and it hadn't fuly done that yet. Kerrigan's induction into the Swarm is an ongoing investment to incorporate psionics into the Swarm - at that moment, it had succeeded in bringing psionic power to the Swarm but not to the extent that it could be widespread across the greater Swarm because that would be the determinant in its battle against the Protoss.

The OM did not want to potentially lose something (there were no assurances that, even with Kerrigan, it could win - it just thought psionic power would give an even battlefield and perhaps give it an edge) that could benefit the Swarm in the long run (of which, Kerrigan is the beginning) after searching for so long and almost despairing that it would never find anyway. The OM was trying to cash-in on its apparent luck but not to potentially piss it all away as well - it was "risk averse". How does that not make sense?

Look, this is just the second alternative theory. The Dark Templar on paper seems to fit more neatly. Another thing to consider on this front is that Kerrigan was not really needed on Aiur for the OM to successfully invade Aiur. Maybe the OM changed it's mind on the importance of the "determinant" when it found that only the DTs pose any threat to it, specifically when it mind-melded with Zeratul.

[broodmywarcraft]

Well done Turalyon, I agree with just about, if not, everything you just said.

To add to that, remember when Zasz said to her "you'll be the doom of us all"...it was foreshadowing how Kerrigan's rein would change the zerg to serve her rather than the whole.

[Eivind]

I'm sorry, but now I get the feeling you guys are just making stuff up to fit your own opinions.

How can you possibly know what a giant eyeball thinks about an insanely large group of insectoids?

[FanaticTemplar]

I'm not entirely sure it was despairing more than it was relishing it's clash with the Protoss.

No, that part's quite clear. Here's the quote:

Despite innumerable victories, the Overmind was greatly disturbed. The Overmind was aware that the Protoss had become a highly psionic race, able to bend and warp the fabric of reality to their whims. It sought a way to counter the awesome might of the Protoss, but found no answers among the genetic strains it devoured.

On the verge of despair, the Overmind made an amazing discovery. One of its deep-space probes had relayed the location and vital statistics of a race that occupied a series of nondescript worlds, right under the shadow of the Protoss.

The new race, called Humanity, was mere generations away from developing into a formidable psionic power. But the Overmind also knew that Humanity was still in its infant stages, hardly capable of defending itself against the ravenous Zerg. Although a short-lived and seemingly frail species, the Overmind knew that Humanity would be the final determinant in its victory over the Protoss. If it could assimilate the psionic potential of Humanity, the Overmind would have the ability to combat the Protoss on its own terms.

Whatever the case, the OM does not want to use Kerrigan in the strictest sense - it wants to harness her psionic potential for the Swarm (Kerrigan herself is just a shell really) and it hadn't fuly done that yet. Kerrigan's induction into the Swarm is an ongoing investment to incorporate psionics into the Swarm - at that moment, it had succeeded in bringing psionic power to the Swarm but not to the extent that it could be widespread across the greater Swarm because that would be the determinant in its battle against the Protoss.

The OM did not want to potentially lose something (there were no assurances that, even with Kerrigan, it could win - it just thought psionic power would give an even battlefield and perhaps give it an edge) that could benefit the Swarm in the long run (of which, Kerrigan is the beginning) after searching for so long and almost despairing that it would never find anyway. The OM was trying to cash-in on its apparent luck but not to potentially piss it all away as well - it was "risk averse". How does that not make sense?

Because even if I were to agree with you, the difference is entirely superficial. I say "If the Overmind's only hope of defeating the Protoss was Infested Kerrigan, then why did it attack Aiur without Infested Kerrigan?" You tell me that what the Overmind needed was not Infested Kerrigan, but to assimilate Humanity's psionic potential, then the same question remains, except the words are now "If the Overmind's only hope of defeating the Protoss was assimilating Humanity's psionic potential, then why did it attack Aiur without assimilating Humanity's psionic potential?"

Look, this is just the second alternative theory. The Dark Templar on paper seems to fit more neatly. Another thing to consider on this front is that Kerrigan was not really needed on Aiur for the OM to successfully invade Aiur. Maybe the OM changed it's mind on the importance of the "determinant" when it found that only the DTs pose any threat to it, specifically when it mind-melded with Zeratul.

Eh, sure. I'll go with it. Wings of Liberty makes the entire question moot anyway, since we now know that it didn't bring Kerrigan because he intended her to succeed him.

[DarthYam]

another issue that is brought up is why the hell the overmind attempted assimilation? The very things that made the protoss powerful would have made them utterly antithetical. Blizzard also stated that the only purpose of the DV was to show that there were more factors then just "Overmind suddenly turned evil and ate his makers"

PS according to blizzard tassadar channeled both Void AND Khalla

[Turalyon]

How can you possibly know what a giant eyeball thinks about an insanely large group of insectoids?

I don't. That's why I call them theories if you hadn't noticed. Generally, theories are formed from observations and logical deductions from them. I'm sure everyone is guilty of that at some point or another.

I can ask you the same question about each other character in SC. How can you possibly know all the intentions of each Protoss and human character? For example, Raynor comes across as someone who's noble and always down on his luck because of the actions of others and his open nature to others. But how do you know that his misfortune wasn't just him having an unconscious desire to put himself in those situations because he has a undiagnosed form of masochism where he only derives self-value from having dirt kicked into his face? Sure, it sounds unlikely but I bet someone can form a convincing argument based on the observations we already have of Raynor. Doesn't mean they're right, but it sure makes things interesting to talk about.

Why does everyone think that I'm out to subvert their own beliefs of what the SC story is or what the characters motivations are? I thought the whole point of this was to air out opinions and to explain why you'd hold that opinion.

Because even if I were to agree with you, the difference is entirely superficial. I say "If the Overmind's only hope of defeating the Protoss was Infested Kerrigan, then why did it attack Aiur without Infested Kerrigan?" You tell me that what the Overmind needed was not Infested Kerrigan, but to assimilate Humanity's psionic potential, then the same question remains, except the words are now "If the Overmind's only hope of defeating the Protoss was assimilating Humanity's psionic potential, then why did it attack Aiur without assimilating Humanity's psionic potential?"

It is possible that the OM was experiencing unrealistic expectations from its theory-crafting that it's "only hope" against Protoss was "assimilated psionic might" before it even engaged them in actuality. The OM is not beyond infallibility despite what it says or feels, afterall. As the OM began it's battles against the Protoss, would it be fair enough to think it may have reconsidered its position and got a more realistic expectation about what it felt about Protoss being unassailable without psionic might?

[Eivind]

I think that's fair to say. But I got the feeling that these were arguments that were used because the insistence on arguing against the Overmind retcon (I don'g agree that it is one, but let's call it that for sake of practicality) was so strong. You might debate it all night long, and even offer plenty of arguments why it doesn't make sense or was a stupid idea or whatnot, but the fact is that the Overmind being given a directive is lore now.

[Turalyon]

Something stated as lore/canon shouldn't preclude you from talking about hypothetical instances. I just wanted to discuss character motivations because they are much more amenable to hypothetical discussion than plot points and happenings because they can be more readily self-justified in themselves. I find that interesting. If I limited myself to just talking about canon stuff I would be severely limited by its one correct interpretation and not to mention it would be just plain boring.

I had no other ulterior motive other than what you think I did.

[FanaticTemplar]

It is possible that the OM was experiencing unrealistic expectations from its theory-crafting that it's "only hope" against Protoss was "assimilated psionic might" before it even engaged them in actuality. The OM is not beyond infallibility despite what it says or feels, afterall. As the OM began it's battles against the Protoss, would it be fair enough to think it may have reconsidered its position and got a more realistic expectation about what it felt about Protoss being unassailable without psionic might?

Yes, it is quite possible, even plausible logically that the Overmind's assessment of the Protoss was simply inaccurate, however it's pretty incomprehensible narratively. That information in the manual exists to set up the story, it's pretty bizarre to simply drop it all of a sudden. It's as if after the setup about Mengsk, the Sons of Korhal and so forth, the game shows us Mengsk as a Confederate officer and the rebellion is never mentioned, and the explanation I offered for this is that, in the face of incomparable alien threat, Mengsk realised that the internal problems of humanity were inconsequential and rallied to the Confederates to help defend Terran existence. It'd be logically sound, but one would still be entirely justified in asking what was the point of the whole Rebellion backstory.

[Eivind]

The rebellion story can feel pointless when isolated because when you zoom out, the realization comes that it's not finished yet. That's a part I like about SC; threads are left hanging so it's easy to pick up later, and we see that there was plenty of things to choose from when creating WoL.

Mengsk's motivation, I think, is purely that of hunger for power. Even in WoL he is too busy with internal conflicts. I once made the rabid suggestion that Mengsk was in alliance with the Overmind. He never really fights them (in fact, he avoids them twice - first in SC, then in WoL), and is partially responsible for the infestation of Kerrigan. I don't believe it, though.

When is the next installment coming, FT?