Heart of the swarm screens.

[Zed]

ginger =/= red hair
ginger = orange hair, freckles, generally weak genes

 

[Havoc]

ginger =/= red hair
ginger = orange hair, freckles, generally weak genes, no souls

fixed

 

[attackfighter]

Old Kerrigan, voice acting included, was much more fitting.

The new Kerrigan doesn't even have a proper VA. They hired an actress from some sci-fi television series, and in an interview she said that she had no experience in voice acting and that she simply talked in her normal, everyday voice when reading Kerrigan's lines.

 

[Angthoron]

Asides from Jim Raynor having a dirty thought about her when they first meet, what other "clear" suggestions are there?

Well, I only think dirty thoughts about women I find seriously attractive, and you have to be that if you derail someone's thoughts from being focused on battle to tapping dat ass while wearing a standard ghost outfit. Also by the virtue of being on the protagonist team.

And anyways, it's possible to design an attractive female character without giving her flowing red hair, lip gloss and a perfectly structured face. In SC2 she looks too perfect to be a real girl, especially a girl who spends her time performing solo espionage operations against Zerg and Protoss forces.

At the very least she shouldn't look like she's had a makeover before going into battle. Ideally I think she should have a rather plain look, maybe with a few bruises or cuts, and definitly with no lip gloss, plucked eyebrows or air dryed hair. Unfortunately, SC2's designers decided to go with the generic oversexed videogame heroine design, in order to appeal to their fanbase of retarded losers.

Yes, this is where my problem with new Kerrigan begins. She's wearing make-up to battle. What, did she and Jim plan to hit a five-star restaurant after nuking the planet a little? Compared to the grit in the opening of Brood Wars in the ground combat, this feels pretty ridiculous. If they wanted to show her on the "pretty side", they could've spliced in some sort of a tender moment or what the hell ever. It's not the over-sexualizing per se, it's just how it's implemented that's wrong.

Anyway, Blizzard can't make believable female characters anyway, they're all some or another form of a teenage fantasy.

 

[Havoc]

SC2:WoL lore got fucked. SC2:HoS will get fucked too.

Maybe they can make gameplay... but that's it. Just like Valve. A giant blob sitting on the keyboard all those years. Forgetting there're other people that can write shit that actually is good, makes sense and shit.

 

[sgc_meltdown]

Anyway, Blizzard can't make believable writings, they're all some or another form of a throwaway storyline.

i agree with dis

 

[attackfighter]

Well, I only think dirty thoughts about women I find seriously attractive, and you have to be that if you derail someone's thoughts from being focused on battle to tapping dat ass while wearing a standard ghost outfit. Also by the virtue of being on the protagonist team.

This is bs. First of all, most men are capable of having dirty thoughts about average women, especially if those men are enlisted in an all-male military branch where they'd have few chances of interacting with females. Secondly, they weren't "focused on battle", they weren't even in a battle when they met. Thirdly, Jim could see her face as it was uncovered.

Yes, this is where my problem with new Kerrigan begins. She's wearing make-up to battle. What, did she and Jim plan to hit a five-star restaurant after nuking the planet a little? Compared to the grit in the opening of Brood Wars in the ground combat, this feels pretty ridiculous. If they wanted to show her on the "pretty side", they could've spliced in some sort of a tender moment or what the hell ever. It's not the over-sexualizing per se, it's just how it's implemented that's wrong.

She's wearing lipstick, that's the extent of her beautification in SC1. Yes it's somewhat out of place, but it's nowhere near as unrealistic as her portrayal in SC2 - plucked eyebrows, perfect skin, perfect face structure, lip gloss, super model hair, skin tight ghost outfit and wierd binoculars shaped like a masquerade mask. If you think Kerrigan in SC1 is anywhere near as sexualized as Kerrigan in SC2, then you are a retard.

Anyway, Blizzard can't make believable female characters anyway, they're all some or another form of a teenage fantasy.

All of the females in SC2 are teenage fantasies, yes. In SC1, however, you are wrong.

 

[Angthoron]

Well, I only think dirty thoughts about women I find seriously attractive, and you have to be that if you derail someone's thoughts from being focused on battle to tapping dat ass while wearing a standard ghost outfit. Also by the virtue of being on the protagonist team.

This is bs. First of all, most men are capable of having dirty thoughts about average women, especially if those men are enlisted in an all-male military branch where they'd have few chances of interacting with females. Secondly, they weren't "focused on battle", they weren't even in a battle when they met. Thirdly, Jim could see her face as it was uncovered.

Okay, I will partly agree here. Yes, men can have dirty thoughts about average women, however, no, Raynor isn't enlisted in an all-male military branch where he has few chances of interacting with females - he is, at the start, a Marshal, and if we keep in mind that SC1 Terrans are modelled after Wild West, well, a US Marshal isn't exactly someone that is either obstinate or devoid of female attention. However, granted, this doesn't prove she's "superhawt".

Secondly, yes, they do not meet in direct battle, however, they do meet in the middle of a mission. I'm not sure as I've never been in a given situation, but I would imagine that I'd not be having dirty thoughts mid-mission while listening to a situation report just about someone with a face. Besides, what, would he be thinking about oral sex, to elicit a "You pig!" response? Don't think so. If that's the first thought that comes to your mind when you see an attractive/average face, all the power to you, I don't.

Finally, and this is something you've completely ignored in your response, Kerrigan is on the protagonist team. Being on the protagonist team means automatic Hot Babe status, if you've played at least three computer games in your life you'd probably know this. It's a given. Yes, there are some unattractive protagonist camp characters, and there are some average ones, but this is an industry cliché, and Blizzard operated by the clichés back then, too. They were just a little more subtle about it.

She's wearing lipstick, that's the extent of her beautification in SC1. Yes it's somewhat out of place, but it's nowhere near as unrealistic as her portrayal in SC2 - plucked eyebrows, perfect skin, perfect face structure, lip gloss, super model hair, skin tight ghost outfit and wierd binoculars shaped like a masquerade mask. If you think Kerrigan in SC1 is anywhere near as sexualized as Kerrigan in SC2, then you are a retard.

All of the females in SC2 are teenage fantasies, yes. In SC1, however, you are wrong.

As I indicated in my previous posts already, this is about SC2 and not about SC1, where Kerrigan's portrait indeed only wears lipstick. I'd say that in SC2 Kerrigan can be described as "sex kitten" by her outlook.

Anyway, I found her portrayal cheesed up, just like pretty much everything about the SC2 story, and a tough, yet attractive Kerrigan wouldn't fit the new setting and the new universe, the "new fans" wouldn't really get it. Really, would a Ripley (Alien) type character fit this game now?

 

[Reject_666_6]

I think everyone agrees that Blizzard monumentally fucked up the art style and writing in SC2. World of Warcraft-level characterisation and Hollywood plot and aesthetic. Whether or not you consider a stylised 25 frame sprite as defining a look in the first place, her new look is a perfect example of the decline.

However, it is extra retarded that she's a post-op negroid now.

 

[Black]

I prefer her SC1 portrait, she's too sexualized in SC2.

Well, who doesn't prefer about every audiovisual thing in SC1 to SC2. Remember how in SC1 the Protoss clip for your units taking damage is "Your forces have engaged the enemy!"? Sc2, everybody complains and whines like pussies, the worst being Zealots with their "WE CANNOT HOLD!" no matter what they encounter.

The fuck are you talking about, this makes for some amazing things.
One hydralisk starts shooting at a goddamn battlecruiser- ABANDON SHIP

 

[attackfighter]

Okay, I will partly agree here. Yes, men can have dirty thoughts about average women, however, no, Raynor isn't enlisted in an all-male military branch where he has few chances of interacting with females - he is, at the start, a Marshal, and if we keep in mind that SC1 Terrans are modelled after Wild West, well, a US Marshal isn't exactly someone that is either obstinate or devoid of female attention. However, granted, this doesn't prove she's "superhawt".

The Terran's are themed after the Wild West, not modelled.

And there's no reason to assume that Raynor had female company prior to meeting Kerrigan. Nothing of the sort was implied or shown.

Secondly, yes, they do not meet in direct battle, however, they do meet in the middle of a mission. I'm not sure as I've never been in a given situation, but I would imagine that I'd not be having dirty thoughts mid-mission while listening to a situation report just about someone with a face.

Raynor's a laid back guy, and the situation at hand wasn't distracting. It's quite likely that he'd fantasize while marching around and doing other tedious activities.

Besides, what, would he be thinking about oral sex, to elicit a "You pig!" response? Don't think so. If that's the first thought that comes to your mind when you see an attractive/average face, all the power to you, I don't.

Kerrigan called him a pig in a joking sense, it was meant to embarass Raynor and introduce her psychic abilities to the player. She didn't seem particularly offended.

Finally, and this is something you've completely ignored in your response, Kerrigan is on the protagonist team. Being on the protagonist team means automatic Hot Babe status, if you've played at least three computer games in your life you'd probably know this. It's a given. Yes, there are some unattractive protagonist camp characters, and there are some average ones, but this is an industry cliché, and Blizzard operated by the clichés back then, too. They were just a little more subtle about it.

Uhhhh... what the hell games have you been playing? Back around SC's release I was playing Alpha Centauri, HoMM 3, Age of Empires 2, etc., none of those games featured hot babes. And Kerrigan wasn't on the protagonist's team; the campaign was played from 3 different points of view and the audience was meant to empthasize with at least two of them, the story had no clear protagonist.

As I indicated in my previous posts already, this is about SC2 and not about SC1, where Kerrigan's portrait indeed only wears lipstick. I'd say that in SC2 Kerrigan can be described as "sex kitten" by her outlook.

Then we are in agreement.

Anyway, I found her portrayal cheesed up, just like pretty much everything about the SC2 story, and a tough, yet attractive Kerrigan wouldn't fit the new setting and the new universe, the "new fans" wouldn't really get it. Really, would a Ripley (Alien) type character fit this game now?

I don't think the new fans would care. Most people only bought SC2 because of it's marketing, and the ones who became dedicated fans probably did so because of the multiplayer. I doubt a significant portion of the community, new or old, actively cares about single player design details.

 

[Angthoron]

Bits about Kerrigan/Raynor

I think I'll pass on this part, I've not read any of the "extended universe" novel stuff, and the events are open enough to interpretation for us both to have a different view of how that went, let's just leave it at that. Old characters were better, though, even though they clearly were less "thought out" at the time and were more of a vessel to tell the story than the actual storyline focus. Kinda like using Forrest Gump to show the modern history of the United States for example, personalizing the story through the use of a few select characters.

Uhhhh... what the hell games have you been playing? Back around SC's release I was playing Alpha Centauri, HoMM 3, Age of Empires 2, etc., none of those games featured hot babes. And Kerrigan wasn't on the protagonist's team; the campaign was played from 3 different points of view and the audience was meant to empthasize with at least two of them, the story had no clear protagonist.

Those are strategies though, and I guess I was thinking on the overall spectrum of games - and even in HoMM3, the females are by and large attractive on the "good" side of the spectrum (though whether we consider Rampart etc genuinely good is another story). Thinking of the MM series, too, M&M6-8 females are quite "attractive", there's Lara at the time, and such other things. The females surrounding the player, even at the time, tend to be attractive.

I don't think the new fans would care. Most people only bought SC2 because of it's marketing, and the ones who became dedicated fans probably did so because of the multiplayer. I doubt a significant portion of the community, new or old, actively cares about single player design details.

Well, surprisingly enough, there's a lot of people that do seem to care about the storyline of SC universe - otherwise Blizzard wouldn't be publishing all those SC novels for one. Certainly a huge portion of people comes from either MP background or from marketing/Blizz fandom camp, but I wouldn't say that the storyfags are in a total crushed minority.


Really though, it's not even Kerrigan that's a problem in SC2's story. It's pretty much everything. The entire cast is infested by herp, and the (red herring?) prophecy and the likes just compound and make it even a bigger clusterfuck.

 

[Erebus]

Anyway, Blizzard can't make believable female characters anyway, they're all some or another form of a teenage fantasy.

In WC3, I liked undead Sylvanas (who's considered to be a Kerrigan rip-off, ironically). Most of the others aren't exactly great characters, but then you could say the same about many of the male characters.

Same goes for SC2 : Raynor and his sidekicks, Tychus, Zeratul, Mengsk and Tosh aren't exactly believable.

 

[Reject_666_6]

Same goes for SC2 : Raynor and his sidekicks, Tychus, Zeratul, Mengsk and Tosh aren't exactly believable.

What are you saying? I believe they're all morons.

 

[Havoc]

Same goes for SC2 : Raynor and his sidekicks, Tychus, Zeratul, Mengsk and Tosh aren't exactly believable.

What are you saying? I believe they're all morons.

I agree.

Too bad Stukov and DuGalle died... and Edmund... and FUCKING FENIX. RAYNOR YOU STUPID MOTHERFUCKER. Your bitch killed your fucking bro and you save her ass? Fuck no! You kill the bitch!

 

[attackfighter]

Those are strategies though, and I guess I was thinking on the overall spectrum of games - and even in HoMM3, the females are by and large attractive on the "good" side of the spectrum (though whether we consider Rampart etc genuinely good is another story). Thinking of the MM series, too, M&M6-8 females are quite "attractive", there's Lara at the time, and such other things. The females surrounding the player, even at the time, tend to be attractive.

Even in mainstream FPS's it's not a rule that female heroine's are 'hot babes'. Cortana from the Halo series is pretty plain looking, as are Alex from Half Life 2 and Chell from Portal. It's a rule that female protagonists have to be somewhat attractive, however competent devs are capable of meeting that requirement while still keeping their character designs believable. Cortana is pretty, but she's a hologram; Alex is cute, but a bit grungy; Chell has a nice figure, but she's in an orange jumpsuit with no makeup on. All of those characters are designed so that they're not only attractive, but reflect the roles they're meant to play, and that's what I'd call good female character design.

SC2's human Kerrigan otth is simply a copy-paste of the "hot babe" archetype. She's given no characterization and her appearance doesn't reflect her situation at all. This is most likely because Blizzard hires incompetent retards, much like Bioware, and then passes them some vague directions from marketing such as "make Kerrigan ACCESSIBLE", prompting them to create the most generic, cliched story evar. But at least it's a safe bet!

Also the only character in HoMM 3 that I'd define as a "hot babe" is the girl in the opening cinematice, the one in the chainmail bikini...

 

[Erebus]

Also the only character in HoMM 3 that I'd define as a "hot babe" is the girl in the opening cinematice, the one in the chainmail bikini...

Catherine Ironfist, yes. Her "armor" makes it a bit difficult to take her as seriously as you otherwise would.

Mind you, the swamp witch in Armageddon's Blade barely wears anything at all...

 

[CSM]

Can't wait. Wings of Liberty was awesome.

 

[attackfighter]

Can't wait. Wings of Liberty was awesome.

You couldn't be more wrong.

 

[J1M]

Come to think of it, does Fenix even get mentioned in SC2?

No, the entirety of brood war is essentially ignored. You might also notice that Kerrigan goes from being a master manipulator to a scooby-do villain, and that Mengsk goes from an "any means necessary" liberator of his people to a hitler 2 despot.

 

[xemous]

i hope they dont charge full price for this.

 

[Metro]

i hope they dont charge full price for this.

Considering they can't hit you with a $15/mo fee and dozens of microtransactions (or do they have those in SC2 already?) then prepare to be disappointed.

 

[Angthoron]

Come to think of it, does Fenix even get mentioned in SC2?

No, the entirety of brood war is essentially ignored. You might also notice that Kerrigan goes from being a master manipulator to a scooby-do villain, and that Mengsk goes from an "any means necessary" liberator of his people to a hitler 2 despot.

Mengsk transformation is especially annoying, he goes from a very smart and cunning man to some sort of a bumbling moron redneck caricature.