Non-linear story = boring missions

Non-linear story = boring missions - Page 3

Smurfz

United States327 Posts

August 06 2010 06:27 GMT

#41

On August 06 2010 03:33 Slayer91 wrote:
Filler:
Tosh/Nova
Ariel/Selendis
Zeratul (should be protoss)
Acturus crap (debatable)

Not filler:
Mar Sara (debateable), 4 missions
Artifact stuff: 4 missions?
Char: 3 missions
Total: 10-11, right on the money for a starcraft or starcraft BW terran campaign.
Sounds like ol' Bobby is working hard!

Zeratul missions filler wtf? That's where the story went from "herp-de derp im on a rebellion" to "holy shit the apocolypse, hybrids, ahhh, this is important"

socal50

United States93 Posts

August 06 2010 08:24 GMT

#42

the non-linearity does kinda dilute the story, since they have to tiptoe around certain plot points lest they spoil it for a different mission

Unentschieden

Germany1471 Posts

August 06 2010 08:45 GMT

#43

The game gives you a nightmare/flashback sequence TWICE to the key moment on Tarsonis (the old adjutant and a cinematic) when Mengsk abandons Kerrigan. This is THE defining event for Raynors character. Remember after the original Terran campaign the next thing he does is follow Kerrigans "lure" where he discovers her Transformation. This motivates him to aid the Protoss in defeating the Overmind. In the Brood wars he has to realise that the Queen of Blades is no longer Kerrigan but a monster with her face and declares that he needs to finish the issue. He still blames himself (and Arcturus) for the events on Tarsonis.
After Broodwars he can´t really do anything about Kerrigan so he keeps himself busy with his revenge against Arcturus with limited success initially.

The Wol story actually picks up on all these points: Especially in the "Horner" Missions it´s evident that he considers stopping the current goverment (Mengsk) his concern but building a new "better" one Matt Horners. Matt knows this but disagrees - cue the "we are waiting for you" conversations.
His position on Zerg infestation is handled in the Colonist Subplot, the conflict of revenge against Arcturus no matter the cost to what is "best" for the Population.
It´s a similar Matter as well with Tychus, he is Raynors best friend but he also is contra Kerrigan the whole time. Despite certain weak motivations (they need to plant a bomb in his suit to make him "kill Kerrigan or die") the point in the end is that Raynor choses Kerrigan over him.

With all the above the "Story" fits and develops Raynors character rather well even if they fail to connect the plot (both due to irrelevance of the events to each other and the free missionchoice which weakens the building of Tension). What they did very well however is the consistency between Plot and Missionevents, there is no longer the player wiping the map but the cutscene showing the Heroes barely escaping. Also the few Missions without "options" (the first and last 3 each) are great about connecting the events and building tension.

The Protoss minicampaign however is a PROTOSS campaign, yes they put it in context to Raynor but it actually relates to how the Protoss get a warning of their "gods" as told by one of their greatest Heroes. The narrative with heroic sacrifices, ancient prophecys and "the end of the universe" doesn´t fit at all with the Space western Terrans but it DOES fit with the Mystic and ancient Protoss.
I think of it as a sequence from Legacy of the Void that they snuck into WoL to have Protoss in the campaign - which only appear otherwise as Selendis cameo and Superflat bad guys the Tal´darim. Remember in the Prophecy itself the Protoss are blaming themselves for killing Kerrigan. Raynor isn´t mentioned AT ALL, there is no reason for Zeratul to talk to Raynor about it but some off screen relevation about it. And for how important it appears to be - why don´t any Protoss show up, neither to help fight Kerrigan or even to protect her?
The prophecy is "problematic" because it´s outside the Terran campaigns plot and story. The other sidequests are "merely" outside the plot.

Raynors character isn´t in conflict between killing Kerrigan and preventing the Prophecy -that´s the Protoss, he is in conflict between saving his comrade (lover?) and killing the monster that wears her Face.

deL

Australia5540 Posts

August 06 2010 09:06 GMT

#44

I really hate linear missions in RTS campaigns, and in BW I just used the 'skip level' cheat on like 50% of missions to progress the story because it got really boring. In SC2 I played through every mission and enjoyed most of it, never feeling it was a grind. I think we can agree it's personal choice, and if you're the kind of person who sits down and plays the campaign all in one or two sittings you can't complain. I found it much more enjoyable doing 3-5 missions at a time over a week or two and never once did it feel like a grind.

Prev 1 2 3 All

Please or register to reply.

Non-linear story = boring missions - Page 3

Completed

Ongoing

Upcoming