How ar the artifacts Dues Ex Machina?

[Turalyon]

Bah! All this hair-splitting over the definition of what is and what is not a DEM is pointless.

The artifact, as it stands now, is an all too convenient tool that happens to appear where it needs to at the start and then allows us to get to a specific end result in WoL.

People have a problem with the "all too convenient" aspect of it because it is so blatant and trite. Explaining it's true purpose or justifying its existence will do nothing to rid it of how it just seems to be so convenient that it appears at all and does what it does. It breaks suspension of disbelief.

[Louis]

Those are good points Rake, thinking of it that way it does seem like bull. But other than the theoretical science been bull the execution in the game as a stand alone was just right. Considering that the pieces were so highly sought after by everyone and Hansons commentry as well as the Kerrigan dreams and encounters associated with the pieces was quite a lot of foreshadowing. So if you ask me the execution was hardly an eye roller.

By the way Rake, it seems like you missed or that you forgot about the origins of the artifact as Hanson explained it. The pieces were actually only thousands of years old, which means that they were created long after the extinction of the Xel'Naga. Sounds like Durans work, doesn't it.

Bah! All this hair-splitting over the definition of what is and what is not a DEM is pointless.

The artifact, as it stands now, is an all too convenient tool that happens to appear where it needs to at the start and then allows us to get to a specific end result in WoL.

People have a problem with the "all too convenient" aspect of it because it is so blatant and trite. Explaining it's true purpose or justifying its existence will do nothing to rid it of how it just seems to be so convenient that it appears at all and does what it does. It breaks suspension of disbelief.

Like I said, Duran was implicated as the creator of the device. Duran was head scientist of Moebius which was owned by Valarian. I wonder how many of the haters noticed this, because taking this into consideration makes it less of a plot convienience and more of a plot intrigue. imo obviously.

[Gradius]

I do think it's trite, but I wouldn't call it a DEM. The artifact destroys Zerg cells. Just like the XN temple on Shakuras. Just like the Phoenix creature from SoTN, etc. It was not created to deinfest a human. It's even explained in the game. <_<

[Karass]

A small correction: XN temple of Shakuras wasn't designed to destroy Zerg, it just have an enormous powers. Temple's energies were channelled by the Protoss using Uraj and Khalis, reconfiguring the Temple into uber anti-zerg weapon. BTW, the device from WoL was also not supposed to be used to de-infest/destroy Zerg, Moebius scientists just managed to use it that way. It's quiet possible that when the artifact was used to de-infest Sarah it also simultaneously did what it supposed to do. Maybe we're gonna see the result of this in HotS/LotV.

[Eivind]

Keep in mind that Brian Kindregan hinted that the deinfestation was only a side effect of the artifact's true purpose. With that in mind, we don't really know what it does.

Duran was mentioned. It's quite possible he made it, buried it long ago, and now has decided, through Moebius, to hire Raynor and the Raiders to collect them. It fits with the fact that Duran might be quite old ("I have had many names throughout the Millennia"), and that his work has been going on for a while ("This creature is the culmination of a cycle").

[SpikeVorador]

but why Duran wants to de-infest Kerrigan?
Probably he thought that after the de-infestation Raynor would kill her... probably he didn’t know that Raynor had seen the Overminds prophecy.

[Karass]

My guess is that Duran (aka Dark Voice or at least one of facades through which DV mostly indirectly influences the course of the cycle) staged Kerrigan's deinfesttion in order to create an uncertain situation in which Kerrigan may wing up killed or a leats rendered unable to free the Zerg (thus, helping to stop the Hybrid somehow) in order to remolve the greatest threat to his plan.

BTW, it is yet to be elaborated on how exactly Kerrigan freeing the Zerg from Duran's indirect control will help to stop the Hybrid. Tassadar is sure that this is the key to stoppinmg them, but didn't explain it in detail. I bwt we'll learn more about this in HotS since one the main themes of the campaign will be Kerrigan building the new Swarm.

[mr. peasant]

I do think it's trite, but I wouldn't call it a DEM. The artifact destroys Zerg cells. Just like the XN temple on Shakuras. Just like the Phoenix creature from SoTN, etc. It was not created to deinfest a human. It's even explained in the game. <_<

It's not that simple. Even if it could specifically destroy Zerg cells, Kerrigan is a Terran-Zerg hybrid. Meaning, every cell of hers is part Zerg and about Terran. She is not some kind of Frankenstein monster of jumbled parts.

A small correction: XN temple of Shakuras wasn't designed to destroy Zerg, it just have an enormous powers. Temple's energies were channelled by the Protoss using Uraj and Khalis, reconfiguring the Temple into uber anti-zerg weapon.

Actually, I don't think it was specifically anti-Zerg at all. When unleashing its energy, Zeratul tells the Executor to withdraw his forces into the Temple and to brace himself. If the Xel'Naga Temple was specifically anti-Zerg, the Protoss would not have needed to seek refuge inside the temple.

Keep in mind that Brian Kindregan hinted that the deinfestation was only a side effect of the artifact's true purpose. With that in mind, we don't really know what it does.

It doesn't matter what its true purpose is. The Artifact in and of itself is not the deus ex machina but this specific property of it (reversing Kerrigan's infestation) is.

And here is why: It breaks the rules that the game itself set up

During the game, we hear repeatedly that there is no known cure for the Zerg infestation. This means that there is no apparent method of accomplishing this feat. Then, enter the Artifact which somehow manages to do that very thing. Yet, no explanation or evidence was given other than Valerian's claim that it could; which is insufficient since, as I stated above, the game itself establishes that this shouldn't normally be able to happen.

[Karass]

Actually, there was a cure for the Zerg infestation at one point: the nanotech serum from Resurrection IV. Although it was specifically designed to de-infest Stukov, there is an occasion of a successful de-infestation.

I don't consider the Xel'Naga device a DEM. DEM is basically something that suddenly pops-up in themidst of the story in order to advance the plot or provide the way to do something. The artifact fragements on the other hand were being established during the course of the entire game and even in promo materials before its release. So, this device isn't something that randomly popped-up near the end of the campaign, it and its function were planned beforehand and established throughout the course of the story.

[Turalyon]

This is becoming an "I say, you say" competition. There has to be one definition of DEM to clear this matter up. Everyone is expressing their own interpretation of what a DEM is.

No matter what anyone says, the artifact, DEM or not, is still a trite plot device that steers the plot in a very convenient way.

Actually, there was a cure for the Zerg infestation at one point: the nanotech serum from Resurrection IV. Although it was specifically designed to de-infest Stukov, there is an occasion of a successful de-infestation.

Aside from the fact that many are not aware of Resurrection IV despite its canonicity, if this serum was such a coup in de-infestation, why is it never ever referenced again in WoL by Raynor as he certainly knows that such a thing exists and that it works?

The existence of such a serum does not suitably explain why in WoL Raynor feels so despondent and guilty by not being able to rescue/save Kerrigan until Valerian gives him an opportunity (the artifact) to 'possibly' deinfest/save Kerrigan. Knowledge of the serum would have propelled Raynor into saving Kerrigan a long time ago...

You could say that it doesn't work on Kerrigan or some other excuse, but that is just running in circles, not to mention being "oh so convenient" again. If the serum is not a viable source for de-infestation for Kerrigan, then the argument is moot. Up till WoL, Kerrigans infestation (special or not) was not curable until "something" was invented to do so.