The Story So Far... Part 2: The Brood War

[Marine]

Aldaris was by far the coolest protoss character.

But this only reflects that the story is continuing to be the weak link of SC. I think compared to SC1 BW already was not that great anyway. I never liked it, especially after Stukov, Duke, Fenix, and Aldaris were dead (leaving only Mengsk as the last "kick-ass" character).

I disagree Fenix was still the best able to come back to still fight for Aiur and his attitude was awesome but Aldaris at first I didnt like because he was one sided but I did like how Blizzard developed him later on but calling him just a traitor was stupid.

They also dont seem to add even a smige was about the side stories such as Stukov's infestation and Raynor and Artanis saving him and 'purifying' Braxis later freezing over.

[Lavarinth]

I heard Fenix is going to be an Immortal.

[Marine]

That, would be awesome.

[RazorclawX]

But this only reflects that the story is continuing to be the weak link of SC. I think compared to SC1 BW already was not that great anyway. I never liked it, especially after Stukov, Duke, Fenix, and Aldaris were dead (leaving only Mengsk as the last "kick-ass" character).

Don't get too comfortable; I fully expect Mengsk to get assassinated by his son by the end of the Terran Campaign.

[Legion]

But this only reflects that the story is continuing to be the weak link of SC. I think compared to SC1 BW already was not that great anyway. I never liked it, especially after Stukov, Duke, Fenix, and Aldaris were dead (leaving only Mengsk as the last "kick-ass" character).

True. BWs story simply didn't match the great plot of Starcraft 1, but it did add interesting bits of course. I think the 'killing spree' you're talking about was a bit too forced. Especially Aldaris' demise. Always seemed to me like, "Hey, this guy hates DTs big time, but here he is, being friendly with them!  ... Oh wait, let's just kill him and be done with it!"

One thing that kind of became Brood War's icon is Duran. I never liked Duran and the whole hybrid concept.  I really hope SC2 is not going to be focused on that too much.

RCX: Yeah, that's indeed likely to happen.

[Thalraxal]

Hey man, Blizzard's got to keep the bodycount up!  They've got a reputation to uphold!

I think part of the reason for the "Brood War Massacre" was just to cut down the cast size.  The fact that each race ended up with two heroes each cannot be mere coincidence.  And that said, I think they handled it well.  Alot of the characters you disliked the original campaigns, you started to like in BW.  And then you had to kill them.

I think RCX's right on Arcturus Mengsk getting the chop.  But what's the full story behind Valerian Mengsk anyway?  I know he's appeared in the novels (which I haven't read, even if they're the new canon).

Arg, I still don't understand the Cerebrate thing.  As a writer, it makes no sense to kill them all off like that.  They open up alot of possibility with the Zerg (Character interaction with Kerrigan, the ability to have renengade Zerg factions for the manditory Zerg vs Zerg mission in the SC2 Zerg Campaign) and there are still plenty of good stories you can tell with those guys (the whole "hey, I've got free will now.  What the heck am I supposed to do with it?" thing comes to mind).  And finally: Kerrigan.  Kerrigan's the Queen Bitch of the Universe, and ended up being the only real winner in the Brood War.  She's at the top, and when you're at the top the only place to go is down.  Is Blizzard planning to kill off the Zerg or what?

[RazorclawX]

Did you know that I actually don't like Jim Raynor?

I liked Zeratul before Brood War came out... but after Brood War I don't like him so much anymore. He seems kind of an idiot (Artanis has an excuse because he was always an idiot). I mean, swear to god, how in the world did Kerrigan convince the Protoss to actually help her? The Protoss had to be stupid, that's why.

In the same vein I don't like Kerrigan, either. I liked the Overmind and the Cerebrates way more as the Zerg personalities. What doesn't bode well for SC2's story is the bulk of the Zerg interaction is almost certainly going to be between Kerrigan and MORE Infested Terrans, which is boring as shit.

Everything I've heard about Valerian Mengsk so far (I haven't read the Dark Templar trilogy and will likely skip it entirely) makes him sound like the Starcraft version of Arthas. Which sucks. We all know what happened to Arthas.

[Marine]

A futuristic version of the Lich King waiting to happen again, oh great.

True the Zerg will soon be like Terran interaction except just uglier looking with creatures that arnt humans of course. They need to somehow make the other Zerg be able to speak such as the Queen or the Overlord. It doesn't make sense as to why at least they killed Daggoth, he didnt become the Overmind because it was said he helped control the broods as it was growing.

Zeratul didnt seem the idiot to me, just Artanis how cocky and stupid he always sounded and he stated the obvious similiar to John Madden.

[Jadefang]

I still hope that Blizzard takes some input from fan communities like this one although they don't seem to do that too much beyond the scope of battle.net, some selected Q&A and photo mosaic contests. But on the other hand I don't want to be too negative either. Overall, I loved the SC games, and I am certain SC2 will be enjoyable, too. If the story were as bad as in BW it would still be a good multiplayer game or a basis to make your own campaigns. Somehow I don't think it will be this way but much better. Let's be optimistic. Raynor becoming a depressed alcoholic was a good start 

Zeratul didnt seem the idiot to me, just Artanis how cocky and stupid he always sounded and he stated the obvious similiar to John Madden.

I think Zeratul utterly failed to recognize Kerrigans trechary, despite having rebuffed Aldaris so arrogantly in the tribunal mission of SC1 talking about entropies and stars being born etc. Yet his "experience" did not help him to look through the obvious treachary Kerrigan posed from the very beginning.

Artanis on the other hand I found not really to be that cocky only in one scene towards the UED, he was IMHO rather submissive to the player (executor). But he clearly lacked the coolness factor of Aldaris. Aldaris rulez. 

For the new protoss in SC2 I would wish a combination of Khalai/conclave type straight honorbound protoss versus a mixture of dark templar and as a third fraction of more machiavelli type interest groups, trechary, like Drealan in LotC.

[RazorclawX]

I hope they don't make Selendris (sp?) into a total idiot.

[Meta]

Did you know that I actually don't like Jim Raynor?

I liked Zeratul before Brood War came out... but after Brood War I don't like him so much anymore. He seems kind of an idiot (Artanis has an excuse because he was always an idiot). I mean, swear to god, how in the world did Kerrigan convince the Protoss to actually help her? The Protoss had to be stupid, that's why.

In the same vein I don't like Kerrigan, either. I liked the Overmind and the Cerebrates way more as the Zerg personalities. What doesn't bode well for SC2's story is the bulk of the Zerg interaction is almost certainly going to be between Kerrigan and MORE Infested Terrans, which is boring as shit.

Quoted for truth. I'm really not enjoying how Blizzard insists that all Cerebrates are dead and how Kerrigan is the absolute ruler of the Zerg now. The Cerebrates and Overmind were so... alien, so Zerg, and then a boring human takes control of the Zerg through over-the-top treachery... :/

And, Marine382BB, The (current) Lich King is actually Azeroth's version of Kerrigan. Either Arthas and Kerrigan could be described as "a corrupted human person who betrayed their faction, joined their enemy and carefully manipulated the way to rise as the absolute ruler of a mindless colectivity".

The SC/WC3 and BW/TFT stories are so similar in concept that I begin to wonder what the hell Blizzard is going to show in SC2. I hope they don't intend to recycle the same story again (the Xel'naga in SC2 being the Overmind in SC1/Burning legion in WC3) but it seems likely. But well, at least it will probably be way more immersive than SC or WC3.

[tipereth]

Starcraft's story is such a huge sci-fi/fantasy cliche that there's no real use arguing over it.

[WB]

A lot of people forget that the Lich King was an Orc.

[muaddib]

hm, have to agree, blizz, like other sources, seem to enjoy to kill their heroes and villians in a mostly gruesome or shakspiric fate.
anduin lothar, terenas, grom hellscream [ftw], fenix -poor thing was killed twice, was it?
betrayal, maniplutaion, etc- DUNE saga , and lord of the rings are fine proofs, imo.
interisting allegories btw,[ or is it analogies? - no matter].arthas- kerrigen, and say,,,the zerg are the counter to the undead and the legion,
in warcraft 3 the player plays some/most heroes of warcraft and faces/witness other manipulaters and allies, and later on meet there demise- mostly at WOW [a mistake im not going to repeat with woltk]" vashj, illidan, kiljeaden [about time], kael- twice now i heard.
back to topic:
and, mengsk is the avrage manipulater, that nut job toon deserves a gruesome pixeled demise

regarding the star craft books- none arrived here as far as i am aware, which is a bit of a shame, unless they were horrid and not worthy to read
regarding sc2: when it will arrive.. i think it is a safer bet then a massive rpg :s

[Zilla-]

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