Zerg Story Mode (speculations)

What do you think the story mode will be like for the Zerg?

• 
  At Blizzcon, they went into some pretty good detail about story mode, obviously citing the Terran campaign.
  
  When asked which role players would be in the 'story/campaign' they mentioned that the positions from before, like executor, and magistrate would be gone/changed.
  
  When someone asked about the cerebrates, they mentioned that they were dead, (or just about completely obsolete), and notice that he had no reservations revealing that point.
  
  "Kerrigan is in sole control of all the broods. -that we know of (other dev)"

My speculation:

Cerebrates are obsolete
IKerrigan quiet for 4 years
Refining the Zerg infestation process takes time
Banelings would highly likely replace 'explosive' infested terrans...
An opportunity for advanced infested humans comes into play:
remember she did trust IDuran (ignoring whether you believe he was manipulation her, or not) he was zerg-like 'consume'.

Succubus units could be human/ghosts incorporated into the swarm...maybe...
OR
Humanoid Zergs may now replace the cerebrates. While she could enslave young Cerebrates SC:BW player, older ones, like Daggoth :good: she could not. Cerebrates were Kerrigan's equal, and they could form a new Overmind , their mutual superior. Controll units submissive to IKerrigan only, would be a logical creation. Also, not being 'defenseless slugs' (or whatever it was she referred to cerebrates as, while talking to her enemies.)

 

this might be EXACTLY why they're gonna get rid of infested terrans!!! in favor of these guys! this sounds like fun!!
oh i DO wish they would start giving us zerg units soon! :upset:

 

one of the characteristics of the zerg command units (Overmind, Cerebrates, Overlords) is that none of them have any attacks. Same for authentic zerg strains not based off of other organisms (Overmind, Cerebrates, Larva). Therefore having human based zerg command units as acting cerebrates is atypical. Although since Kerrigan is now in charge of the zerg (as she took them over by force) she could probably do whatever she wanted. But she is an infested human, not a human based zerg unit. She wasn't bred from a larva.

 

string_me_along

yeah that is what I'm wondering about. Think, there had to be plenty of stranded Terrans on Char, and a few satellite worlds, that she could toy with. Maybe infest them directly; or like the true Zerg way, incorporate their DNA into the actual larvae. That way they could be produced by larva, I don't know if that would be likely, but what I think is more probable, would be just a more efficient infestation process.

The zerg were brought into the swarm one organism at a time so....

The main thing though, is that it would be weird if only the Protoss and Terrans had a story campaign, leaving the zerg without one. Thats why I think humanoids could be likely, infested terran bombs--> infested kerrigan--> Kerrigans experiments (from the novels, I read the descriptions on Wikipedia, Devs said they would use elements of the novels)-->Something better????.

 

I think that the zerg will have a campaign. Kerrigan is one of the best villains of all time and she has to be addressed in the campaign mode.

I think in the ten years since brood war it is entirely feasible for terrans to have been assimilated into the zerg swarm and that they can be bred from larva. That also saves the problem of using them in Zerg v. Toss battles. Also I hope that the zerg-terrans are not just suicide units that they were in brood war. However, to be classically zerg I don't think they would be command units. Maybe (this is a stretch) casters because of their psionic potenial.

 

Infested terrans from larvae in gameplay would be rather imba. I think Infested Terrans will replace Cerebrates as well, though.

 

/\
They already have the banelings as ground based suicide units, therefore I think that the terran strain that has been assimilated will not be a suicide unit. Since we don't know what that is, we really can't begin to say that they will or will not be imbalanced.

Also Kerrigan could make her subordinates all humans that have been infested (she did for duran who is actually probably not human although she seems not to have known this). But that would be atypical for the zerg in the context of how their races has evolved.

 

Now that I think about it, replacing cerebrates with infested terrans is a risky decision. This is pure speculation, but I don't think Kerrigan would be able to resurrect infested terrans the way a cerebrate could be resurrected. Either that or infested terrans could be turned human again through the same method from Resurrection. It's a huge liability for Kerrigan. I think she'll keep the power for herself.

 

I think you just changed your opinion .

But I think that if they were zerg made from assimilated terran DNA, they couldn't revert back to human form as their base from would be the zerg larva, not an actual human. Still, it is completely outside of the context of the zerg species, so I also don't think that the terran strain of zerg will be used as a command species. (Also the overlord is for psi and control.)

 

Very good points from both of you.
reverting to humans, very very clever didn't think of that, then larvae based ones are zerg from birth so they could not be reverted, great response.

Resurrection is a good point too. At least one difference is that they are not defenseless worms

I'm not sure I follow:
"Still, it is completely outside of the context of the zerg species, so I also don't think that the terran strain of zerg will be used as a command species. (Also the overlord is for psi and control.)"

what do you mean by the "context of the zerg species". The overlords were brought into the swarm, and were assimilated so well that they were made into control units (manual).

Kerrigan was infested not, assimilated, and still given control equal to that of a cerebrate. I think it is possible to give control to assimilated zerb-based terrans. All the zerg strains are species that were completely assimilated into the swarm.
Plus overlords are in direct control, but there aren't supposed to be 'anymore' cerebrates (according to devs).

 

Back to storymode though. I think that it will be unlikely that you would play as IKerrigan. Whom else would you speak too? No 'crew' or anything. Perhaps they could flesh out her character more and have flashbacks that you interact with???

That's another reason why I think humans might be assimilated by now. That way Kerrigan as competent subordinates between herself and overlords, and the player could then interact with Kerrigan & the other "Controllers". While the manual did say that the Overmind (R.I.P. :-\ ), after defeating the Xel'Naga, was able to increase the sentience of the Higher Strains..ergo Cerebrates, Queens, Overlords, and Defilers, story-wise I don't think they could come off as too 'believable'.

Assimilated Terrans doesn't just sound cool (to me ), but mechanistically from a story developer's point of view, that sounds workable.

 

Yes the overlords were from other species that the zerg infested, but I don't think Kerrigan is disposing of the overlords, it's the cerebrates, which were formed by the overmind, that she would be replacing. They are essential zerg units and are not from any infested species.

Also Kerrigan is a special example. The overmind saw things in her which may have turned out differently if the overmind did not die and she remained in his control. However, once she was free of the overmind's control, Kerrigan used her freedom to accomplish her own goals.

I don't know if Kerrigan would be stupid enough to make the same mistake that let her seize the sector.

 

I think that the Zerg story mode will feature you as one of Kerrigan's new controller-minions (Infested Terran, new Cerebrates, ect ect...I reallly dont care what kind they are.) and will be a "conquer the galaxy" non-linear compaign.

 

The Succubus unit was a fake rumor. It was debunked a few weeks ago.

 

oh wow you're right.

http://www.battle.net/forums/thread.aspx?fn=sc2-general&t=9365&p=1&#post9365
This is where I heard it:
http://www.1up.com/do/previewPage?pager.offset=1&cId=3159837

i thought i saw it in an interview with a dev, it was just a quick mention. I will look for the vid.

 

Well...The old overminds goal was to absorb the terran species and gain control of their premature psychic powers. The OV would then mold those powers over a short period of time to allow the swarm to become for more powerful, mentally. Powerful enough to compete with the protoss who are countless generations more advanced than the terrans. Now the big question is whether Kerrigan is to follow the same route...

 

I think one thing to keep in mind is that there will likely be contradictions and paradoxes in starcraft lore after starcraft 2 comes out. Im not sayin there will be but its farely likely in my opinion. Just look at Warcraft after WoW.

 

What about Warcraft after WoW? What does that have to do with SC? It's not like they'll make an MMO on Starcraft, or any other thing really.

 

Now with Kerrigan as the head, and the Overmind & Cerabrates removed from the main hierarchy, I am wondering if the Zerg , storywise, could possibly become too Terran orientated? Will the Zerg simply be the tool of Kerrigan? Will Kerrigan still be concerned with the Overminds goals?

I am hoping Assimilated Psionic Humanoid-Zerg (pure zerg, like overlords) will replace the Cerebrates, and will be the Player Character.

 

Blizzard will probably pull something from WAY out there in order to keep the story campaigns distinct I look forward to what they have up their sleeves

In the story mode, it would be cool if you could participate in the infestation of something, or even look at the past memories of what the original species of some of the zerg units were derived from.