Pitfall: It seems like every new map I upload appears as a [%arg2%] in the chat when I try to use the [lobby] command to link them in the chat. The link still works, but ofc the name is all fucked up. Only some really old maps of mine dont seem to have this problem when I upload them.
Fix: If you experience this, your map needs to have an english localization.
Pitfall: It seems like every new map I upload appears as a [%arg2%] in the chat when I try to use the [lobby] command to link them in the chat. The link still works, but ofc the name is all fucked up. Only some really old maps of mine dont seem to have this problem when I upload them.
Fix: If you experience this, your map needs to have an english localization.
alright, so I seem to have this new issue when uploading relatively new maps: Whenever I try to link them in chat through the [lobby] command, instead of the name of the game, it will show instead %arg2%. The link is still clickable and leads to the right lobby, but ofc this is terrible promotion.
All of my newer maps seem to have this problem, I even made a test map 100% from scratch just for this and this issue still persisted, so its very likely no deeply rooted corruption or something. I also tried out a wide variety of naming patterns, short and long and it doesnt seem to be connected to the actual map name.
I looked through the battle.net to see if other peoples maps were suffering from this, so far it doesnt seem like it.
Anyone got thoughts on this? Help would be greatly appreciated!
Well, that was a good one, dividing between 'Spoilers' and 'No Spoilers', though I'd get a bit critical of a few parts here and there. But it was a good critic, nonetheless, with the exception it was a bit *too* positive and misunderstood.
As I once said, the point of reviewing is pointing out good stuff while, in a tolerant way, also telling about it's flaws, and some stuff like Artanis being a teacher and stuff seemed a bit confusing. Artanis, for me, did a good job of being the 'fish out of water' character, and had the will and charisma given to him by Zeratul's sacrifice, which was what truly kicked the story forward. I figured that, if there were any other way around, it just wouldn't end up as powerful or riveting as that cutscene ended. And I admit he did grew up consistently as a leader, being forced into decisions, taking risks, fighting for what he believes, he virtually did a lot more than both Raynor and Kerrigan, for a reason - Raynor was just 'treasure hunting alien thingies' while Kerrigan was 'all righteous revenge'.
Also, it wasn't any new writer, it was just the addition of Waugh, a WarCraft lore writer, whom was along with Metzen. Though I bet that Waugh was more vocal about how the story was led than Metzen going all happy-hands like he did with HotS. Thank God for that...
BTW, I think you forgot to comment a bit on the missions, notably the last Shakuras mission, which was worth of calling itself 'ending with a bang'. :)
Thanks for the response. What you say about Zeratul is true, I could have written many more paragraphs about how he influenced the narrative and how his presence was felt throughout the entirety of it. Infact, I´d argue that one of the many possible interpretations of the title "Legacy of the Void" is that its referring to Zeratul, "Void" beeing a standin for him, seeing how Zeratul, as a dark templar, has an inherent connection to the void, making the title into "Legacy of Zeratul", in which case the "Legacy" referred to would be the defeat of Amon and the salvation of the Protoss. And I agree that some of the stuff Ive written here might seem abit confusing or "misunderstood", but not because I actually misunderstood it, but because I didnt explain my thoughts very well.
However, you misunderstand me. This isnt supposed to be a "review" and Im not a critic/reviewer, nor do I strive to be one. In fact, as an artist, I have very little interest in the act of reviewing and I think anyone calling himself a "critic" has a severe misunderstanding of art itself. Thats not to say there cant necessarily be good reviews, there just never can be a good "critic", in my opinion. I only put "reviewish" in the title so people have sort of an idea what they are about to click on.
If anything, this thread mostly serves the purpose of sharing my enthusiasm for LOTV and its writing and showing the people behind the game that their work is appreciated. If I wanted to make people understand what Legacy of the Void is about, I would tell them to play the game themselves and try and understand it themselves, such is the nature of art.
After 4 days of intense playing, I finally finished Starcraft 2: Legacy of the Void. And it has impressed me alot. Here are my gibberish thoughts, not really a review, but whatever. This is just a rambling freewrite, probably full of grammatical and structural errors. Be warned.
As we all know, Wings of Liberty´s and Hearth of the Swarm´s campaign were absolute travesties when it came to writing with very little redeeming qualities and seemingly not worthy successors to Starcraft and Starcraft: Brood War. And the gameplay, while mostly solid, often times relied too much on gimmicks instead of real Starcraft tactical action. As such, I think most of us went into Legacy of the Void with very muted expectations, expecting a campaign of similar "quality", rightfully so.
To all who havent bought or played Legacy of the Void yet, I can safely say (somewhat to my surprise), that Legacy of the Void is NOT that.
After two failed attempts with WOL and HOTS, the campaign in Legacy of the Void hits a total homerun in all places where it counts. The writing is excellent, crisp and thought-provoking with a strong set of expertly handled themes, interesting characters and plot developments across the board. The writing is ATLEAST as good as the original Starcraft and Starcraft: Brood War, if not better. However, it is a different style of writing, focusing alot more on subtext and characters than raw plot developments.
What has impressed me the most is how Legacy of the Void has handled its complex themes: Theres so much depth and subtext to everything and alot of well done symbolism. Everything has alot of substance. And most interesting of all: The themes in LOTV are real, looking at and exploring themes that represent real human issues and that should actually be considered and thought about, so that they might actually influence you as a person in a positive way, something that Ive never really seen in ANY video game. This is the kind of writing usually reserved for more developed forms of art like movies or books.
There were so many moments in Legacy of the Void that just left me in total awe. So many moments where I really had to stop and think about something a character said because he actually raised interesting points. And theres alot of subtly as well, not everything is in your face. As such, the campaign might warant a replay just to further delve into the writing itself.
Not to say that its perfect: In a few limited places, LOTV falls into the same writing traps that have plagued WOL and HOTS, however, these are far and few between and inconsistent. As such, they dont take away from the actual experience. There is one, seemingly superficial decision that really took me out of the moment for a second, but I´ll discuss that in the spoiler part.
The Dragonball Z action from HOTS has been toned down, and while it still exists in Legacy of the Void to some degree, this time it fits, because Protoss were always supposed to fight in such a manner.
LOTV finally delieveres on what Starcraft 2 always promised us: Living up to and expanding upon the world that was presented in Starcraft and Starcraft: Brood War. The mysteries and dangers that were hinted at in the original Starcraft are finally revealed, explained and dealt with in a meaningfull manner that feels like a natural continuation of the original Starcraft. Unlike WOL and HOTS, Legacy of the Void adds to the original and doesnt take away from it.
If we look at the gameplay, I think its the best out of the three. Hearth of the Swarm was already really good, but I love how straighforward alot of the missions in Legacy of the Void are and how you can approach them in several ways, while still having alot of variety. Alot less gimmicks. And the presentation is as great as always, obviously. Presentation was also a strong point in WOL and HOTS, so thats to be expected. But I wont focus too much on these aspects.
Whatever Blizzard changed in their team, who they hired or who they fired, it matters little. What matters is that whatever they have done, it was the right decision, resulting in a game that is the first true successor in terms of the campaign to the the original Starcraft and Starcraft: Brood War, while beeing much more than just a successor, but also its own thing. Fitting, when you considere the themes LOTV explores.
ALL SPOILERS:
Jesus. Where do I begin. From the first moment the campaign started and Zeratul briefly talked to Artanis, something about the writing felt just so much more grounded and well executed. Probably because you could immediately see that Artanis has alot more substance to him as a character than Raynor or Kerrigan. Yeah, lets start there.
Artanis. What a great fucking character. Unlike WOL and HOTS who both had incredibly weak main characters, Raynor beeing an infallible, inconsitent slate and Kerrigan beeing an uninteresting bitch, Legacy of the Void´s main character is interesting in so many different ways. Artanis is wise, but young and makes alot of mistakes. He can lecture, but can also be lectured himself. He carries alot of burdens, but conducts themselves to them in interesting ways. He teaches and he learns. He is a representation of Protoss.
Unlike the other two main characters, who were always contrived to be right in all circumstances, Artanis is very fallible indeed. Almost right out of the gate, he makes a huge mistake by invading Aiur and immediately the circumstances that lead him to this decision are very interesting.
Now I dont want to write a huge analysis, and Im not going to, but in the end it comes down to that we are never sure if the decisions of Artanis are right. And we see him grow alongside the story. There are so many great exchanges this guy has with the other interesting characters and they all learn from each other. There is just so much meaningfull conflict going on between the characters.
I especially love the entire Fenix/Talandan thing and how it was handled. Talandan is another great character that is responsible for some of the more subtle, touching moments in the campaign, were we see him reflect deeply into one of the my most favorite characters in all of Starcraft.
Im not going to comment on all the characters, but it speaks volumnes that I can remember all their names. Alarak is just so awesomely cruel and his exchanges between Artanis and him were just so well written. I love the relationship between Vorazun and Artanis and how they learn from each other. And Rohanna is a great representation of the past of the Protoss.
One thing in general about this campaign is also that unlike HOTS and WOL, which never seemed to have any stakes because the characters were always right, in Legacy of the Void the stakes are real. Immediately as the game starts, we loose our golden Armada. We loose Aiur, again. Zeratul dies, which was a truly shocking moment for me and executed very well. We then loose Shakuras and we see the devastation Amon causes in the galaxy firsthand on Korhal. Everything felt like it was on edge and we are the last stand.
Which I guess leads me unto Amon. He was rightfully critizied as beeing a generic BIG BAD DOOM guy in WOL and HOTS, uninteresting and unfitting. And he definately was. However, one has to realize that no plot devise is inherently bad. Amon was horrible in WOL and HOTS because the entire affair was handled badly, but the figure of the impending evil overlord has been done well in the past, for example in Lord of the Rings. What makes these stories great is that its not just about the evil overlord trying to destroy the universe, but how the characters conduct themselves to the scenarios this creature presents them with. Luckily, Legacy of the Void does exactly that and it turns Amon into a generally very threatening and even compelling villan. Some of his scenes truly had a frighting atmosphere to it and when we see his true Xel´Naga form its geniunly unsettling. Again, his exchanges with Artanis are great.
But in LOTV, Amon is more than just an evil big bad. Through Rohanna and through the things he says, we get so see him as a more developed character, moreso than for example Sauron in Lord of the Rings. If thats good or bad is up for debate, but I found it very compelling. We see him as a creature that is basically a slave to his own hatred and tries to mask it in the name of righteousness and morality. Suddenly all his cringy dialog in WOL and HOTS makes sense: He is putting on an act for himself, trying to convince himself that he isnt just a sad creature that was wronged and succumbed to hatred due to this. That he was forced to become a Xel´Naga adds interesting depth to it all and I love how his character is never outright explained, but you can figure it out by paying attention.
The Xel´Naga. Gods they were handled well. I love how they explained the entire mystery around them, but the Xel´Naga also felt genuinly alien and frightening, like they are something that we shouldnt even be allowed to lay eyes upon. I think it was masterfull to reveal the true form of the Xel´Naga by looking at a dead corpse of one, hidden in the shadows. Despite beeing dead, this creature still felt so otherwordly and imposing, and it supported the threat that Amon posed by such an enourmous degree. These ancient beeings whose pure form can frighten us, all butchered by our enemy before we could even get to them. Good stuff.
I also loved the reveal of how the visions of Tassadar and the prophecies in all of Starcraft 2 were basically just a Xel´Naga contacting Zeratul to stirr him into a specific direction and not actual visions or prophecies.
Again, Im just writing the thoughts that come into my head so Im not really delving deep into everything I liked, but lets take a quick look at one of my favorite parts in Legacy of the Void, the themes:
First, lets look at the Spear of Adun. Before LOTV came out, it was very sceptical about it. It felt reduntant, we already have carriers AND motherships. Do we really need something bigger? But now, I see why LOTV couldnt take place on simple carrier or a mothership, because the Spear of Adun is hugely symbolistic when looking at the themes LOTV deals with.
While LOTV deals with many things, one of its main themes is what is the right way to conduct yourself as a person and as a people to your past, what role culture plays and in the end, what defines you, both as an individual and as a race (On a side note, I think LOTV absolutely nails this philosophical "discussion" and I agree with it on pretty much every front). The Spear of Adun is the mighty ship that the Protoss use to crusade against Amon. It represents their glorious and golden past, but it is similar to a tool: It alone, like your past, does not bring victory, but how you conduct yourself to it does - however, just like your past can be very helpfull in your future through learning and growing through it, the Spear of Adun is what allows the Protoss to go on this journey.
I love the monologue of Zeratul during the destruction of Shakuras, which also reeinforces and discusses the theme mentioned above. I think it was at this point that I realized what one of the major things is Legacy of the Void is actually about.
On a little side not, can I just mention how poetic alot of Legacy of the Void is? We try to reclaim our planet, but instead we loose both it aswell as our new homeworld. A race uses a ship from its ancient past to sail into its future. A noble warrior dies in the quest to save all life. Ancient gods, in an attempt to preserve life, spawn an entitity that seeks to destroy all of it. A butcher (Kerrigan) becomes a beacon of life (Xel´Naga). A race at the edge of extinction overcomes the apocalypse to thrive into something greater than they have ever been. Good stuff.
Now lets look at one of the only things I disliked. Im pretty sure alot of people will hate on Super-Saiyan Kerrigan. And I agree, it took me out of a great moment. But if you really look at it, the only problem with it is a relatively superficial one: It looks stupid. However, disregarding how it looks, her becoming a Xel´Naga still fits into the story and was foreshadowed alot. However, the appearance should have been more subtle, I think.
Lastly, "Legacy of the Void" is a damn good title. What is the "Legacy of the Void"? Life.
By the very nature of what you're saying, it literally applies to nobody, as all of us have been making stuff for free with no cash incentives. The only thing that suddenly introducing money into the mix would do is allow for more dedicated development time, custom assets etc.
Please don't go around presuming to know how every persons personality/mind works. Greed is a choice and is not "human nature" as say something like "sex" would be human nature.
And by the very nature of how you are responding I get the feeling my statement rang true for you.
Besides, Ive heard the statement "I dont create mods anymore for SC2 because I dont really get anything out of it" in relation to money and modding on this forum time and time again, so it actually applies to quite a few people.
The only question I would like to have answered/feature that I want:
They should give the option that if only a single player is in the Arcade map, that the map is hosted locally on the players computer (just like if you were to start the map directly through the editor), so theres no lag if hes playing it alone. Or alternatively add a "singleplayer" checkbox option to the editor which determines that this map will always be played locally when someone starts it through the Arcade, with the tradeoff that the map requires to be a 1 player map.
This would allow for maps that play well in both singleplayer and multiplayer (like for example RPG´s) to be played 100% lagless if the player just wants to play it alone. In the latter option, one could upload a version just for singleplayer thats always without lag
First of all, those new tilesets (and the updated ones) look amazing. They remind me alot more of the look that Starcraft 1 had. So thats great. Much better resolution, aswell. The terrain textures in Starcraft 2 were always so ugly because of these weird shading effects Blizzard put on it. Now they seemed to have resolved that.
And before you all get your pitchforks out: Your maps that use the unupdated tilesets PROBABLY will not change. Instead, they will simply be listed as "outdated" tilesets that can still be used and wont be replaced. It was the same for Hearth of the Swarm, too. Hopefully. Otherwise, Blizzard fucked up. They shouldnt just force changes upon custom maps.
Writing the spoiler in cabs with a million "!!!!!!!!!!!!" is not an effective spoiler warning. Thanks for revealing this to everyone that read this thread but didnt want to know about if. For FUCKS sake, be more considerate.
0
Found a fix.
0
Pitfall: It seems like every new map I upload appears as a [%arg2%] in the chat when I try to use the [lobby] command to link them in the chat. The link still works, but ofc the name is all fucked up. Only some really old maps of mine dont seem to have this problem when I upload them.
Fix: If you experience this, your map needs to have an english localization.
0
Hai,
alright, so I seem to have this new issue when uploading relatively new maps: Whenever I try to link them in chat through the [lobby] command, instead of the name of the game, it will show instead %arg2%. The link is still clickable and leads to the right lobby, but ofc this is terrible promotion.
All of my newer maps seem to have this problem, I even made a test map 100% from scratch just for this and this issue still persisted, so its very likely no deeply rooted corruption or something. I also tried out a wide variety of naming patterns, short and long and it doesnt seem to be connected to the actual map name.
I looked through the battle.net to see if other peoples maps were suffering from this, so far it doesnt seem like it.
Anyone got thoughts on this? Help would be greatly appreciated!
0
Thats like comparing Gold to Crap. Yes, the one is clearly better than the other, but it doesnt describe just HOW GOOD Gold actually is.
0
I just love how everyone is loving and appreciating Legacy of the Void. "The definite Starcraft game". Well put indeed.
0
Thanks for the response. What you say about Zeratul is true, I could have written many more paragraphs about how he influenced the narrative and how his presence was felt throughout the entirety of it. Infact, I´d argue that one of the many possible interpretations of the title "Legacy of the Void" is that its referring to Zeratul, "Void" beeing a standin for him, seeing how Zeratul, as a dark templar, has an inherent connection to the void, making the title into "Legacy of Zeratul", in which case the "Legacy" referred to would be the defeat of Amon and the salvation of the Protoss. And I agree that some of the stuff Ive written here might seem abit confusing or "misunderstood", but not because I actually misunderstood it, but because I didnt explain my thoughts very well.
However, you misunderstand me. This isnt supposed to be a "review" and Im not a critic/reviewer, nor do I strive to be one. In fact, as an artist, I have very little interest in the act of reviewing and I think anyone calling himself a "critic" has a severe misunderstanding of art itself. Thats not to say there cant necessarily be good reviews, there just never can be a good "critic", in my opinion. I only put "reviewish" in the title so people have sort of an idea what they are about to click on.
If anything, this thread mostly serves the purpose of sharing my enthusiasm for LOTV and its writing and showing the people behind the game that their work is appreciated. If I wanted to make people understand what Legacy of the Void is about, I would tell them to play the game themselves and try and understand it themselves, such is the nature of art.
0
NO SPOILERS:
After 4 days of intense playing, I finally finished Starcraft 2: Legacy of the Void. And it has impressed me alot. Here are my gibberish thoughts, not really a review, but whatever. This is just a rambling freewrite, probably full of grammatical and structural errors. Be warned.
As we all know, Wings of Liberty´s and Hearth of the Swarm´s campaign were absolute travesties when it came to writing with very little redeeming qualities and seemingly not worthy successors to Starcraft and Starcraft: Brood War. And the gameplay, while mostly solid, often times relied too much on gimmicks instead of real Starcraft tactical action. As such, I think most of us went into Legacy of the Void with very muted expectations, expecting a campaign of similar "quality", rightfully so.
To all who havent bought or played Legacy of the Void yet, I can safely say (somewhat to my surprise), that Legacy of the Void is NOT that.
After two failed attempts with WOL and HOTS, the campaign in Legacy of the Void hits a total homerun in all places where it counts. The writing is excellent, crisp and thought-provoking with a strong set of expertly handled themes, interesting characters and plot developments across the board. The writing is ATLEAST as good as the original Starcraft and Starcraft: Brood War, if not better. However, it is a different style of writing, focusing alot more on subtext and characters than raw plot developments.
What has impressed me the most is how Legacy of the Void has handled its complex themes: Theres so much depth and subtext to everything and alot of well done symbolism. Everything has alot of substance. And most interesting of all: The themes in LOTV are real, looking at and exploring themes that represent real human issues and that should actually be considered and thought about, so that they might actually influence you as a person in a positive way, something that Ive never really seen in ANY video game. This is the kind of writing usually reserved for more developed forms of art like movies or books.
There were so many moments in Legacy of the Void that just left me in total awe. So many moments where I really had to stop and think about something a character said because he actually raised interesting points. And theres alot of subtly as well, not everything is in your face. As such, the campaign might warant a replay just to further delve into the writing itself.
Not to say that its perfect: In a few limited places, LOTV falls into the same writing traps that have plagued WOL and HOTS, however, these are far and few between and inconsistent. As such, they dont take away from the actual experience. There is one, seemingly superficial decision that really took me out of the moment for a second, but I´ll discuss that in the spoiler part.
The Dragonball Z action from HOTS has been toned down, and while it still exists in Legacy of the Void to some degree, this time it fits, because Protoss were always supposed to fight in such a manner.
LOTV finally delieveres on what Starcraft 2 always promised us: Living up to and expanding upon the world that was presented in Starcraft and Starcraft: Brood War. The mysteries and dangers that were hinted at in the original Starcraft are finally revealed, explained and dealt with in a meaningfull manner that feels like a natural continuation of the original Starcraft. Unlike WOL and HOTS, Legacy of the Void adds to the original and doesnt take away from it.
If we look at the gameplay, I think its the best out of the three. Hearth of the Swarm was already really good, but I love how straighforward alot of the missions in Legacy of the Void are and how you can approach them in several ways, while still having alot of variety. Alot less gimmicks. And the presentation is as great as always, obviously. Presentation was also a strong point in WOL and HOTS, so thats to be expected. But I wont focus too much on these aspects.
Whatever Blizzard changed in their team, who they hired or who they fired, it matters little. What matters is that whatever they have done, it was the right decision, resulting in a game that is the first true successor in terms of the campaign to the the original Starcraft and Starcraft: Brood War, while beeing much more than just a successor, but also its own thing. Fitting, when you considere the themes LOTV explores.
ALL SPOILERS:
Jesus. Where do I begin. From the first moment the campaign started and Zeratul briefly talked to Artanis, something about the writing felt just so much more grounded and well executed. Probably because you could immediately see that Artanis has alot more substance to him as a character than Raynor or Kerrigan. Yeah, lets start there.
Artanis. What a great fucking character. Unlike WOL and HOTS who both had incredibly weak main characters, Raynor beeing an infallible, inconsitent slate and Kerrigan beeing an uninteresting bitch, Legacy of the Void´s main character is interesting in so many different ways. Artanis is wise, but young and makes alot of mistakes. He can lecture, but can also be lectured himself. He carries alot of burdens, but conducts themselves to them in interesting ways. He teaches and he learns. He is a representation of Protoss.
Unlike the other two main characters, who were always contrived to be right in all circumstances, Artanis is very fallible indeed. Almost right out of the gate, he makes a huge mistake by invading Aiur and immediately the circumstances that lead him to this decision are very interesting.
Now I dont want to write a huge analysis, and Im not going to, but in the end it comes down to that we are never sure if the decisions of Artanis are right. And we see him grow alongside the story. There are so many great exchanges this guy has with the other interesting characters and they all learn from each other. There is just so much meaningfull conflict going on between the characters.
I especially love the entire Fenix/Talandan thing and how it was handled. Talandan is another great character that is responsible for some of the more subtle, touching moments in the campaign, were we see him reflect deeply into one of the my most favorite characters in all of Starcraft.
Im not going to comment on all the characters, but it speaks volumnes that I can remember all their names. Alarak is just so awesomely cruel and his exchanges between Artanis and him were just so well written. I love the relationship between Vorazun and Artanis and how they learn from each other. And Rohanna is a great representation of the past of the Protoss.
One thing in general about this campaign is also that unlike HOTS and WOL, which never seemed to have any stakes because the characters were always right, in Legacy of the Void the stakes are real. Immediately as the game starts, we loose our golden Armada. We loose Aiur, again. Zeratul dies, which was a truly shocking moment for me and executed very well. We then loose Shakuras and we see the devastation Amon causes in the galaxy firsthand on Korhal. Everything felt like it was on edge and we are the last stand.
Which I guess leads me unto Amon. He was rightfully critizied as beeing a generic BIG BAD DOOM guy in WOL and HOTS, uninteresting and unfitting. And he definately was. However, one has to realize that no plot devise is inherently bad. Amon was horrible in WOL and HOTS because the entire affair was handled badly, but the figure of the impending evil overlord has been done well in the past, for example in Lord of the Rings. What makes these stories great is that its not just about the evil overlord trying to destroy the universe, but how the characters conduct themselves to the scenarios this creature presents them with. Luckily, Legacy of the Void does exactly that and it turns Amon into a generally very threatening and even compelling villan. Some of his scenes truly had a frighting atmosphere to it and when we see his true Xel´Naga form its geniunly unsettling. Again, his exchanges with Artanis are great.
But in LOTV, Amon is more than just an evil big bad. Through Rohanna and through the things he says, we get so see him as a more developed character, moreso than for example Sauron in Lord of the Rings. If thats good or bad is up for debate, but I found it very compelling. We see him as a creature that is basically a slave to his own hatred and tries to mask it in the name of righteousness and morality. Suddenly all his cringy dialog in WOL and HOTS makes sense: He is putting on an act for himself, trying to convince himself that he isnt just a sad creature that was wronged and succumbed to hatred due to this. That he was forced to become a Xel´Naga adds interesting depth to it all and I love how his character is never outright explained, but you can figure it out by paying attention.
The Xel´Naga. Gods they were handled well. I love how they explained the entire mystery around them, but the Xel´Naga also felt genuinly alien and frightening, like they are something that we shouldnt even be allowed to lay eyes upon. I think it was masterfull to reveal the true form of the Xel´Naga by looking at a dead corpse of one, hidden in the shadows. Despite beeing dead, this creature still felt so otherwordly and imposing, and it supported the threat that Amon posed by such an enourmous degree. These ancient beeings whose pure form can frighten us, all butchered by our enemy before we could even get to them. Good stuff.
I also loved the reveal of how the visions of Tassadar and the prophecies in all of Starcraft 2 were basically just a Xel´Naga contacting Zeratul to stirr him into a specific direction and not actual visions or prophecies.
Again, Im just writing the thoughts that come into my head so Im not really delving deep into everything I liked, but lets take a quick look at one of my favorite parts in Legacy of the Void, the themes:
First, lets look at the Spear of Adun. Before LOTV came out, it was very sceptical about it. It felt reduntant, we already have carriers AND motherships. Do we really need something bigger? But now, I see why LOTV couldnt take place on simple carrier or a mothership, because the Spear of Adun is hugely symbolistic when looking at the themes LOTV deals with.
While LOTV deals with many things, one of its main themes is what is the right way to conduct yourself as a person and as a people to your past, what role culture plays and in the end, what defines you, both as an individual and as a race (On a side note, I think LOTV absolutely nails this philosophical "discussion" and I agree with it on pretty much every front). The Spear of Adun is the mighty ship that the Protoss use to crusade against Amon. It represents their glorious and golden past, but it is similar to a tool: It alone, like your past, does not bring victory, but how you conduct yourself to it does - however, just like your past can be very helpfull in your future through learning and growing through it, the Spear of Adun is what allows the Protoss to go on this journey.
I love the monologue of Zeratul during the destruction of Shakuras, which also reeinforces and discusses the theme mentioned above. I think it was at this point that I realized what one of the major things is Legacy of the Void is actually about.
On a little side not, can I just mention how poetic alot of Legacy of the Void is? We try to reclaim our planet, but instead we loose both it aswell as our new homeworld. A race uses a ship from its ancient past to sail into its future. A noble warrior dies in the quest to save all life. Ancient gods, in an attempt to preserve life, spawn an entitity that seeks to destroy all of it. A butcher (Kerrigan) becomes a beacon of life (Xel´Naga). A race at the edge of extinction overcomes the apocalypse to thrive into something greater than they have ever been. Good stuff.
Now lets look at one of the only things I disliked. Im pretty sure alot of people will hate on Super-Saiyan Kerrigan. And I agree, it took me out of a great moment. But if you really look at it, the only problem with it is a relatively superficial one: It looks stupid. However, disregarding how it looks, her becoming a Xel´Naga still fits into the story and was foreshadowed alot. However, the appearance should have been more subtle, I think.
Lastly, "Legacy of the Void" is a damn good title. What is the "Legacy of the Void"? Life.
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And by the very nature of how you are responding I get the feeling my statement rang true for you.
Besides, Ive heard the statement "I dont create mods anymore for SC2 because I dont really get anything out of it" in relation to money and modding on this forum time and time again, so it actually applies to quite a few people.
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I think everyone who needs money as an incentive to create mods is doing it wrong and will probably not amout to anything in this regard.
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The only question I would like to have answered/feature that I want:
They should give the option that if only a single player is in the Arcade map, that the map is hosted locally on the players computer (just like if you were to start the map directly through the editor), so theres no lag if hes playing it alone. Or alternatively add a "singleplayer" checkbox option to the editor which determines that this map will always be played locally when someone starts it through the Arcade, with the tradeoff that the map requires to be a 1 player map.
This would allow for maps that play well in both singleplayer and multiplayer (like for example RPG´s) to be played 100% lagless if the player just wants to play it alone. In the latter option, one could upload a version just for singleplayer thats always without lag
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Endion and Bel´Shir just look absolutely beautifull....
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First of all, those new tilesets (and the updated ones) look amazing. They remind me alot more of the look that Starcraft 1 had. So thats great. Much better resolution, aswell. The terrain textures in Starcraft 2 were always so ugly because of these weird shading effects Blizzard put on it. Now they seemed to have resolved that.
And before you all get your pitchforks out: Your maps that use the unupdated tilesets PROBABLY will not change. Instead, they will simply be listed as "outdated" tilesets that can still be used and wont be replaced. It was the same for Hearth of the Swarm, too. Hopefully. Otherwise, Blizzard fucked up. They shouldnt just force changes upon custom maps.
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Writing the spoiler in cabs with a million "!!!!!!!!!!!!" is not an effective spoiler warning. Thanks for revealing this to everyone that read this thread but didnt want to know about if. For FUCKS sake, be more considerate.
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Nice Spore Avatar.
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And it did work! Psionic Warfare: Total Destruction is now basically 100% like its supposed to be again.
My thanks goes out to Cacho56 for making PrintIns Blender plugin usable again with his hotfix: http://www.sc2mapster.com/assets/hotfix-printlns-blender-m3addon/