Random Campaign Thoughts

[Gradius]

Been replaying the campaign and I've had some questions:

What is up with Zeratul's injury? First off, we never saw how he got it. He climbed out of the cave no problem and fought in 3 missions after he got the injury so it couldn't have been that bad. But in the Hyperion he is still clutching his arm? What is going on here? It feels like they had a completely different storyline planned out and failed in changing it to something else - just bad production quality.

Second, Kerrigan seems to know too much about the prophecy. She knows they're all going to die for example:

You might peel away the prophecy's layers, Zeratul - but you cannot outrun the doom that awaits us all!

Wouldn't it be better to end your struggle now than witness the final agonizing moments of your species?

But she seems excited about it:

FATE cannot be changed. The END comes. And when it finds me... I shall embrace it at last.

Kerrigan is also apparently powerful enough to read Zeratul's mind despite not being in proximity:

Kerrigan
Your hope is an illusion, old fool.

Zeratul
If you can so easily read my mind, Kerrigan - you'll see that I'll never give up so long as hope remains!

That was from the middle of the Whispers of Doom mission. But Kerrigan can't read Raynor's mind too well in the Moebius Factor mission:

Kerrigan
I can sense you're trying to keep something from me.

Also, I noticed that in the end of In Utter Darkness, the hybrids absorb zerg & protoss, kind of like how the phoenix creature in Shadow of the Xel'Naga did. Any relation between them?

I also like how Raynor says this after Zero Hour:

Raynor
There's no way we can stop an alien invasion with one capital ship and a handful of volunteers.

So Raynor can't take out the Zerg with one capital ship but he can fight back the Fleet of the Executor? Wow, Blizzard hates the Protoss. :P

I get the impression that he does have a fleet though. He says in Media Blitz that he "acquired" a Command Center. Is a CC bigger than a battlecruiser? He must have a fleet. I think it's his fleet that orbits New Folsom after the Breakout mission where you see all the battlecruisers.

[DemolitionSquid]

I think you wasted your time Andrew. We already knew SC2 story was swiss.

[pure.Wasted]

What is up with Zeratul's injury? First off, we never saw how he got it. He climbed out of the cave no problem and fought in 3 missions after he got the injury so it couldn't have been that bad. But in the Hyperion he is still clutching his arm? What is going on here? It feels like they had a completely different storyline planned out and failed in changing it to something else - just bad production quality.

He "gets" it during the fight with Kerrigan somehow, though it isn't clear. He's already clutching his arm defensively when he leaps away having sliced her wing off, so it might be her energy blast (or more precisely, him trying cool moves while being held in an energy blast) that did it. Still, very unclear for something that comes up a few times.

Then, as you mention, he goes on four missions where he's in peak physical condition, and by the time he gets to Raynor's, it looks like it's not even just his arm that hurts, but his everything. Very much strikes me as a restructured plot, or as you say, poor production values. I'm not terribly surprised -- the Raynor+Zeratul scene was one of the first produced for the game, so the design for all of the missions and even The Prophecy cinematic came later.

Second, Kerrigan seems to know too much about the prophecy. She knows they're all going to die for example:

But she seems excited about it:

The entire Prophecy is a mess. What makes Zeratul SO CERTAIN that Kerrigan needs saving, when nothing in the things we read alludes to this? I refuse to even attempt to resolve this with logic and reason, because no logic or reason were used in writing it.

Kerrigan is also apparently powerful enough to read Zeratul's mind despite not being in proximity:
That was from the middle of the Whispers of Doom mission. But Kerrigan can't read Raynor's mind too well in the Moebius Factor mission:

Glaring inconsistency is glaring.

I also like how Raynor says this after Zero Hour:

So Raynor can't take out the Zerg with one capital ship but he can fight back the Fleet of the Executor? Wow, Blizzard hates the Protoss. :P

Glaring inconsistency is glaring.

The question of Raynor's fleet is... ugh. If he has one, at what point did he get it? Your quote makes it clear that he didn't have it during Zero Hour. Why didn't he blast the Bucephalus out of the sky? It only had 2 Battlecruisers tagging along. It just doesn't add up.

[Zeraszana]

Why didn't he blast the Bucephalus out of the sky? It only had 2 Battlecruisers tagging along. It just doesn't add up.

actually, i think its because he wants to kill Arcturus himself with that one bullet he holds in his pistol at all times, so that's (maybe) what prevented him from blasting it to smithereens

[pure.Wasted]

actually, i think its because he wants to kill Arcturus himself with that one bullet he holds in his pistol at all times, so that's (maybe) what prevented him from blasting it to smithereens

He wanted to kill Arcturus with that bullet so bad that he was willing to give Mengsk the chance to escape COMPLETELY? What if the Bucephalus had simply warped away immediately? What if Raynor's forces had been repelled upon boarding? Or any number of other unforseen events happening...

I mean, I know Raynor's not the brightest guy evar, but that seems to be pushing it even by his standards.

[Zeraszana]

He wanted to kill Arcturus with that bullet so bad that he was willing to give Mengsk the chance to escape COMPLETELY? What if the Bucephalus had simply warped away immediately? What if Raynor's forces had been repelled upon boarding? Or any number of other unforseen events happening...

I mean, I know Raynor's not the brightest guy evar, but that seems to be pushing it even by his standards.

nope, i don't think so, jimmy ain't stupid by far, but he wants revenge and i don't think you can warp out immediately after you warped in plus i think you can't do it if someone is in your way (trilogy, second book) well as for the other things i think he would take the risk, he is after all a brilliant IMPROVISING tactician so i bet he would be able to figure something out
but i'm still sticking to the - its personal and he wants Arcturus to see it coming - story so he don't give 2 shits if he dies too so long as he goes down with him

[Articorse]

I predict this thread will either die, be derailed or turn into a 'You are right, Gradius.' chain.

Speaking of which - You are right, Gradius.

[Eligor]

Been replaying the campaign and I've had some questions:

What is up with Zeratul's injury? First off, we never saw how he got it. He climbed out of the cave no problem and fought in 3 missions after he got the injury so it couldn't have been that bad. But in the Hyperion he is still clutching his arm? What is going on here? It feels like they had a completely different storyline planned out and failed in changing it to something else - just bad production quality.

It's pretty obvious they shoehorned those three missions in between the cinematic and the cutscene later and didn't bother changing the cutscene.

Kerrigan is also apparently powerful enough to read Zeratul's mind despite not being in proximity:
Kerrigan
Your hope is an illusion, old fool.

Zeratul
If you can so easily read my mind, Kerrigan - you'll see that I'll never give up so long as hope remains!

Zeratul doesn't literally mean that Kerrigan read his mind, it's a rhetorical question and somewhat of a taunt. Had she been really able to read his mind, he wouldn't have needed to say it.

That was from the middle of the Whispers of Doom mission. But Kerrigan can't read Raynor's mind too well in the Moebius Factor mission:
Also, I noticed that in the end of In Utter Darkness, the hybrids absorb zerg & protoss, kind of like how the phoenix creature in Shadow of the Xel'Naga did. Any relation between them?

Makes one wonder why can the Hybrids do it for that matter... Suppose absorbing Zerg and Protoss genetic material is something only a creature that already possesses both can do? Does it mean then that the Phoenix creatures are Xel'Naga of a sort as well? Just as the Hybrids are a kind of Xel'Naga? Could they be THE original Xel'Naga or some psionic imprint/ghost/spirit of them?

Definitely food for thought.

So Raynor can't take out the Zerg with one capital ship but he can fight back the Fleet of the Executor? Wow, Blizzard hates the Protoss. :P

I get the impression that he does have a fleet though. He says in Media Blitz that he "acquired" a Command Center. Is a CC bigger than a battlecruiser? He must have a fleet. I think it's his fleet that orbits New Folsom after the Breakout mission where you see all the battlecruisers.

I did hope that the size and nature of Raynor's forces would be clarified upon. Difficult to believe that he has so many Battlecruisers, they need factories to be produced and Raynor's group is "rag-tag". And if they were "liberated" then WHY is the Hyperion treated as his only ship? And when did he find the time to commandeer them anyway?

The Blizzard writing team really IS terribly inconsistent. This is actually what annoys me most about their recent games, the lack of persistence and clarity of vision.

[Norfindel]

He wanted to kill Arcturus with that bullet so bad that he was willing to give Mengsk the chance to escape COMPLETELY? What if the Bucephalus had simply warped away immediately? What if Raynor's forces had been repelled upon boarding? Or any number of other unforseen events happening...

I mean, I know Raynor's not the brightest guy evar, but that seems to be pushing it even by his standards.

That part just don't has any sense. Don't try to find one.
It doesn't makes any sense to warp 3 BCs of the Dominion in front of Raynor's ship. Was a sure way for either make him run, or force a confrontation.
Commmunications do exist, it's easier to use them and explain yourself instead of going there with shields down (seems that they have shields, after all), so that the bridge can be attacked and you killed before getting the chance to explain.

[spychi]

That part just don't has any sense. Don't try to find one.
It doesn't makes any sense to warp 3 BCs of the Dominion in front of Raynor's ship. Was a sure way for either make him run, or force a confrontation.
Commmunications do exist, it's easier to use them and explain yourself instead of going there with shields down (seems that they have shields, after all), so that the bridge can be attacked and you killed before getting the chance to explain.

Writed in a matter of minutes

for example docking tubes to Dominion's Flagship BC? 2 men army kicking ass?
if I would be the writer I would have this idea I came up with some day


Matt Horner
Sir Dominion's Battlecruisers are warping in, Mengsk Flagship is leading them!
Tychus
Sweet mother mercy!
Raynor
Matt get the hell us out of here!
Matt
Sir! The Bucephalus is firing an EMP round we won't make it in time!
*Raynor is checking his revolver if it's loaded, it is loaded with one bullet, meanwhile darkness appears as the EMP hit it's target"
silence

*Dominion Marine squadrons are pushing through Raynors ship to the bridge*
*Raynor, Tychus and few other Marines are preping themselfs to repeal the attack, Dominion Marines are breaching the door throwing down stun grenades, Tychus is raging throwin down 3 Marines and killing the 4th one, while Jim is laying covering fire blindlessly, finally Tychus has a Ghost pointing a gun to his helmet and he gives up, Raynor throws down his weapon (still having his revolver, a shape comes in, it looks like a general...Raynor sees a familiar decal on that guy's clothing, it seems it's Mengsk himself, Raynor pulls his weapon of choice and points at Mengsk...*
Shape
So we finally meet, the infamous Raynor.
Raynor *doesn't recognize the voice*
Who are you?! And tell me why I shouldn't kill you right now?
Shape
I own the Mobious Foundation and I think that I don't need to reveal myself, I dont answer to you. Do you have the artifacts as we previously arranged?
Raynor
I ain't giving you nothing
Dominion Squad Leader
Put the gun down!
Raynor
Not until I get some damn answers!
Dominion Squad leader
I said put the gun down.
Matt
Sir, please do what they say, it's pointless.
Raynor
I said no!
Shape
Now I know why my father sees a greater threat in you than I thought you are.
Raynor
Your father?
Shape
Yes, I am Valerian Mengsk, now, you got your answer, put the gun down.
Raynor
No, I still don't know what the hell is going on. Tychus did you knew about this?!
Tychus
Oh man I swear I didn't know anything.
Valerian
It's true,*Jim isn't pointing the gun anymore* now Jim let me explain.
Raynor
You trash in to my ship just to let you explain all this? I will explain you one thing *Jim points the gun again*
Valerian
I can help you do what you always wanted to do, I can help you rescue Kerrigan.
*there is a silence, Jim puts his gun down not beliving what he just heard*

and now we get to the point when Valerian is explaining how the artifact works