HOME | DD

Description
I reworked my StarCraft Paradox scenario to include new LotV goodies.

---

Here's my take on an expanded StarCraft universe. Things go a little bit differently here: the Terran Confederacy manages to survive the first game in the form of various resistance movements, Kerrigan's victory over the forces aligned against her is less complete, and the UED manages to secure a good chunk of the Koprulu Sector. The Confederate Resistance takes the place of Moebius Corps, and becomes a puppet to Amon's plot. Amon manages to kill or take over the remaining Xel'Naga, and his hybrid armies are running amok in the universe, but his takeover of the Protoss via the Khala was incomplete because Zeratul saw it coming and instructed the Protoss not to invade Aiur and cut their nerve cords. Some Protoss, Selendis in particular, did not like that, and fell to Amon. Artanis isn't successful in uniting the Protoss under the Daelaam. The Koprulu Sector is only just getting its act together in uniting against this threat.

Here's a rundown of the factions:

Terran Dominion: The dominant power in the Koprulu Sector. Although badly battered during the Brood War, the retreat of Kerrigan and the UED has allowed the Dominion to capture a good portion of Terran space and rebuild. The most recent event in Dominion history is the assassination of Emperor Arcturus Mengsk by Raynor's Raiders, and his replacement with his son, Valerian. Unbeknownst to just about everybody, Valerian has cooperated with Raynor in an attempt to de-infest the Queen of Blades. Valerian has made the crimes of his father known to the Dominion, and promises to rule as a fair and just leader, and Raynor's Raiders have been rehabilitated; indeed, Raynor and Admiral Horner are both commanders in the new Dominion military. The Kel-Morian Combine and the Umojan Protectorate are their puppets. Gameplay-wise, essentially the same as the Terrans in Starcraft II.

Confederate Resistance Forces: Led by Samir Duran, who is secretly a Xel'naga agent trying to break apart the Terrans' capacity to resist Amon. Worked with the UED during the Brood War, but stabbed them in the back shortly afterward. Now, they are working with Amon to develop hybrid, and are attacking both the Dominion and the UED to soften them up for Amon. Conceptually similar to the Confederates in RA3 Paradox, the Confederates are a legacy faction: a lot of old units from the original Starcraft, and quite a few cancelled ones from SC2's development, are found in their arsenal. Aging Vultures, Wraiths, Goliaths, Arclite Siege Tanks are found in their arsenal. But they don't play like the old Starcraft Terrans or the current Terrans. They're a guerrilla faction, their infantry weak and cheap but are very fast. They have a lot of stealthy tricks, too, such as minefields and other booby traps. Ironically enough, they're similar to the former Sons of Korhal: a faction relying on terror attacks, encouraging uprisings and with the aid of Duran actually having some success in manipulating all of the players.

Defenders of Man: A new faction from Nova Covert Ops that I decided to add. Ironically, they play like Nova does in Co-Op Commanders. Apart from the Trooper, which is a weaker Marine with no stimpacks, their playstyle revolves around ghosts and elite units that are very expensive and take a lot of supply, but are very effective. Other units include scrapped Terran units from Starcraft 2, like the diamondback, warhound and HERC, and strong bullshit units like the Gorgons and the Xanthos.

United Earth Directorate: What remains of the UED Expeditionary Force. A military dictatorship under Admiral DuGalle, who survived the Brood War. They are currently waiting on reinforcements from Earth, which could easily overwhelm the sector and could be the salvation of the sector from the Xel'Naga. Gameplay wise, an entirely different faction than the Koprulu Sector terrans. Elite infantry backed up by hard-hitting armor and aircraft. UED tech is more advanced than that of the Terrans, and tech like plasma cannons and energy shields are widespread in their army. This makes them somewhat like the Protoss, but unlike the Protoss the UED excel in ranged warfare. The UED's basic infantry has more firepower and range than its counterparts, but if those zerglings or zealots get in up close, it's game over. They're a bit like Terran Ghosts, only they don't have anything by way of special abilities, can take more hits, and are cheaper. But the fact remains that you'll always be outnumbered. Armor and aircraft are what the UED really excel in. Unlike the siege tank, the UED's main battle tank is actually something you can drive into combat and soak up enemy fire. Their aircraft are also good, and I see them having something akin to SC2's Banshees or the A10 Warthog as their main flyer. As for the energy shields, they're more limited in use than those of the Protoss, being present on only the heavy units and main structures and are weaker than their Protoss counterparts.

Kerrigan's Zerg: The Queen of Blades has retreated from most of the Koprulu Sector to muck around with Zerg evolution. She's engaged in a war with a third Overmind, which is another puppet of Amon, and Terran forces trying to find a way to deinfest her with a Xel'naga artifact. She doesn't have a lot of systems under her control, but she has the largest single army in the entire sector, and competent commanders like Zagara. Essentially identical to Starcraft II Zerg.

Overmind's Zerg: What was once the UED Slave Broods, these Zerg are not under the control of Kerrigan or her cerebrates. The third Overmind was created by Amon, and is part of his master plan to destroy any rival Zerg broods with no survivors. To this end, the Overmind is biologically and psionically hardwired to obey Amon's directives, and these broods will serve as the main body of Amon's army. Gameplay-wise, they're a legacy faction for Starcraft I Zerg, and are more of a horde faction than a rushing faction. They also have a lot of different caster units based on the defiler and the Brood War-era queen.

Primal Zerg: Decided to add these guys. Basically a tankier Zerg, using the primal variants found in Heart of the Swarm, along with some variant upgrades that were available in that expansion.

Protoss Daelaam: The largest Protoss faction, a fusion of the High Templar and Dark Templar. Currently ruled by Artanis, and focused on destroying Amon's forces and uniting the Protoss. These Protoss cut their nerve cords after Zeratul convinced Artanis that Amon was behind their ascension and will use the Khala to control all Protoss. Because Amon managed to take control of some Protoss, the Daelaam is now busy trying to fix that mess. Essentially identical to Starcraft II Protoss.

Protoss Empire: High Templar religious fanatics that do not want to associate themselves with the Dark Templar and refused to cut their nerve cords. They subsequently fell under the sway of Amon, and took half the Golden Armada with them. and are now in constant conflict with other Protoss factions. They also managed to take the arkships from Aiur (they did have Amon's - and thus the Overmind's - permission), and are using those to terrorize the sector. A very traditionalist faction, they are naturally the legacy faction for Starcraft I's Protoss. They are slow heavy hitters, exemplified by units such as the dragoon or the reaver.

Tal'darim: Once Protoss stoner cultists that are under Amon's sway, they are now an independent faction who don't need no Dark God after now-Highlord Alarak killed the last Highlord and revealed the lie of Amon's promise of ascension. While some Tal'Darim still don't believe Alarak, none of them dare question his will or challenge him to Rak'shir. Alarak wants to destroy Amon, but he's unwilling to work with others because he's an arrogant bastard. Hostile to just about everybody, but particularly the Terran Dominion, which is trying to secure terrazine for its Spectre program. Gameplay-wise, focus on spellcasting units and powerful infantry enhanced by terrazine gas, and their versions of units tend to have higher offense than the baseline Protoss units.

Purifiers: Ancient weapons that were developed by the Protoss, and then imprisoned after they rebelled for their mistreatment under the Conclave. Artanis reawakened the Purifiers on Cybros, and after destroying the Zerg on the forest moon of Endion[1], agreed to join the Daelaam's war against Amon on the condition that they remain independent and respected by the Protoss. Their units are good at avoiding damage or reconstructing from them, they have lots of colossi, and other cool things.

Nerazim: Dark Templar who do not want to "submit" to the Khalai, they oppose the other Protoss factions. They are led by the Dark Archon, Ulrezaj, and they want the Khalai off of Shakuras and destroyed. They're even willing to work with Amon to do it. Probably the most guerrilla faction, focusing on stealth infantry and dirty tricks. They also have Dark Archons and like taking control of worker units from other factions because that's fun.

Xel'Naga: Oh yes, the "fourth faction." Basically Amon's (one of the last Xel'naga) personal army, composed of various Protoss/Zerg hybrids and Xel'Naga automatons. Amon plans basically killing everything and ending the "infinite cycle," which he blames is the source of all suffering and conflict in the universe. They're a turtle faction: slow to get going, but once they do, watch out. Their first units are weak, slow scouts, but once they get to higher tech tiers, tremendously powerful units come out. Their units are slow, so good micro would defeat them.

Greenskins: Natives of the planet Draenor, a world from beyond the Void that has been transported to the Koprulu sector by using Void technology to throw their entire planet into this dimension. Referred to as "greenskins" because of their green skin, they aren't humanoid at all, looking more like lizards crossed with centipedes. Apart from Void tech, they're on the low-tech side, with rusty, ramshackle weapons that wouldn't look out of place in a post-Soviet boneyard. They're proud and noble warriors, but they are getting into fights with all of the other Koprulu sector factions because of misunderstandings. They're also running away from some scary Void entities, shit that would make Amon run the other way. Gameplay-wise, these greenskins are on the choppy end of the shooty-choppy dichotomy. They're middle of the road with regard to numbers and base stats: they shouldn't be able to field the same masses of bodies as the Zerg, and they should lose one-to-one with the Protoss. In a way, they're a bit like the Terrans, but they're on the other end of choppy vs. shooty. While the Terrans have one melee unit (the firebat), all of the orc's infantry are melee save for one. To facilitate this, the orcs are pretty sturdy. Their units generally take a lot of damage before going down, but they can't actually hurt you until they're in melee range.

[1] Subtle, Blizzard.

Description
I reworked my StarCraft Paradox scenario to include new LotV goodies.

---

Here's my take on an expanded StarCraft universe. Things go a little bit differently here: the Terran Confederacy manages to survive the first game in the form of various resistance movements, Kerrigan's victory over the forces aligned against her is less complete, and the UED manages to secure a good chunk of the Koprulu Sector. The Confederate Resistance takes the place of Moebius Corps, and becomes a puppet to Amon's plot. Amon manages to kill or take over the remaining Xel'Naga, and his hybrid armies are running amok in the universe, but his takeover of the Protoss via the Khala was incomplete because Zeratul saw it coming and instructed the Protoss not to invade Aiur and cut their nerve cords. Some Protoss, Selendis in particular, did not like that, and fell to Amon. Artanis isn't successful in uniting the Protoss under the Daelaam. The Koprulu Sector is only just getting its act together in uniting against this threat.

Here's a rundown of the factions:

Terran Dominion: The dominant power in the Koprulu Sector. Although badly battered during the Brood War, the retreat of Kerrigan and the UED has allowed the Dominion to capture a good portion of Terran space and rebuild. The most recent event in Dominion history is the assassination of Emperor Arcturus Mengsk by Raynor's Raiders, and his replacement with his son, Valerian. Unbeknownst to just about everybody, Valerian has cooperated with Raynor in an attempt to de-infest the Queen of Blades. Valerian has made the crimes of his father known to the Dominion, and promises to rule as a fair and just leader, and Raynor's Raiders have been rehabilitated; indeed, Raynor and Admiral Horner are both commanders in the new Dominion military. The Kel-Morian Combine and the Umojan Protectorate are their puppets. Gameplay-wise, essentially the same as the Terrans in Starcraft II.

Confederate Resistance Forces: Led by Samir Duran, who is secretly a Xel'naga agent trying to break apart the Terrans' capacity to resist Amon. Worked with the UED during the Brood War, but stabbed them in the back shortly afterward. Now, they are working with Amon to develop hybrid, and are attacking both the Dominion and the UED to soften them up for Amon. Conceptually similar to the Confederates in RA3 Paradox, the Confederates are a legacy faction: a lot of old units from the original Starcraft, and quite a few cancelled ones from SC2's development, are found in their arsenal. Aging Vultures, Wraiths, Goliaths, Arclite Siege Tanks are found in their arsenal. But they don't play like the old Starcraft Terrans or the current Terrans. They're a guerrilla faction, their infantry weak and cheap but are very fast. They have a lot of stealthy tricks, too, such as minefields and other booby traps. Ironically enough, they're similar to the former Sons of Korhal: a faction relying on terror attacks, encouraging uprisings and with the aid of Duran actually having some success in manipulating all of the players.

Defenders of Man: A new faction from Nova Covert Ops that I decided to add. Ironically, they play like Nova does in Co-Op Commanders. Apart from the Trooper, which is a weaker Marine with no stimpacks, their playstyle revolves around ghosts and elite units that are very expensive and take a lot of supply, but are very effective. Other units include scrapped Terran units from Starcraft 2, like the diamondback, warhound and HERC, and strong bullshit units like the Gorgons and the Xanthos.

United Earth Directorate: What remains of the UED Expeditionary Force. A military dictatorship under Admiral DuGalle, who survived the Brood War. They are currently waiting on reinforcements from Earth, which could easily overwhelm the sector and could be the salvation of the sector from the Xel'Naga. Gameplay wise, an entirely different faction than the Koprulu Sector terrans. Elite infantry backed up by hard-hitting armor and aircraft. UED tech is more advanced than that of the Terrans, and tech like plasma cannons and energy shields are widespread in their army. This makes them somewhat like the Protoss, but unlike the Protoss the UED excel in ranged warfare. The UED's basic infantry has more firepower and range than its counterparts, but if those zerglings or zealots get in up close, it's game over. They're a bit like Terran Ghosts, only they don't have anything by way of special abilities, can take more hits, and are cheaper. But the fact remains that you'll always be outnumbered. Armor and aircraft are what the UED really excel in. Unlike the siege tank, the UED's main battle tank is actually something you can drive into combat and soak up enemy fire. Their aircraft are also good, and I see them having something akin to SC2's Banshees or the A10 Warthog as their main flyer. As for the energy shields, they're more limited in use than those of the Protoss, being present on only the heavy units and main structures and are weaker than their Protoss counterparts.

Kerrigan's Zerg: The Queen of Blades has retreated from most of the Koprulu Sector to muck around with Zerg evolution. She's engaged in a war with a third Overmind, which is another puppet of Amon, and Terran forces trying to find a way to deinfest her with a Xel'naga artifact. She doesn't have a lot of systems under her control, but she has the largest single army in the entire sector, and competent commanders like Zagara. Essentially identical to Starcraft II Zerg.

Overmind's Zerg: What was once the UED Slave Broods, these Zerg are not under the control of Kerrigan or her cerebrates. The third Overmind was created by Amon, and is part of his master plan to destroy any rival Zerg broods with no survivors. To this end, the Overmind is biologically and psionically hardwired to obey Amon's directives, and these broods will serve as the main body of Amon's army. Gameplay-wise, they're a legacy faction for Starcraft I Zerg, and are more of a horde faction than a rushing faction. They also have a lot of different caster units based on the defiler and the Brood War-era queen.

Primal Zerg: Decided to add these guys. Basically a tankier Zerg, using the primal variants found in Heart of the Swarm, along with some variant upgrades that were available in that expansion.

Protoss Daelaam: The largest Protoss faction, a fusion of the High Templar and Dark Templar. Currently ruled by Artanis, and focused on destroying Amon's forces and uniting the Protoss. These Protoss cut their nerve cords after Zeratul convinced Artanis that Amon was behind their ascension and will use the Khala to control all Protoss. Because Amon managed to take control of some Protoss, the Daelaam is now busy trying to fix that mess. Essentially identical to Starcraft II Protoss.

Protoss Empire: High Templar religious fanatics that do not want to associate themselves with the Dark Templar and refused to cut their nerve cords. They subsequently fell under the sway of Amon, and took half the Golden Armada with them. and are now in constant conflict with other Protoss factions. They also managed to take the arkships from Aiur (they did have Amon's - and thus the Overmind's - permission), and are using those to terrorize the sector. A very traditionalist faction, they are naturally the legacy faction for Starcraft I's Protoss. They are slow heavy hitters, exemplified by units such as the dragoon or the reaver.

Tal'darim: Once Protoss stoner cultists that are under Amon's sway, they are now an independent faction who don't need no Dark God after now-Highlord Alarak killed the last Highlord and revealed the lie of Amon's promise of ascension. While some Tal'Darim still don't believe Alarak, none of them dare question his will or challenge him to Rak'shir. Alarak wants to destroy Amon, but he's unwilling to work with others because he's an arrogant bastard. Hostile to just about everybody, but particularly the Terran Dominion, which is trying to secure terrazine for its Spectre program. Gameplay-wise, focus on spellcasting units and powerful infantry enhanced by terrazine gas, and their versions of units tend to have higher offense than the baseline Protoss units.

Purifiers: Ancient weapons that were developed by the Protoss, and then imprisoned after they rebelled for their mistreatment under the Conclave. Artanis reawakened the Purifiers on Cybros, and after destroying the Zerg on the forest moon of Endion[1], agreed to join the Daelaam's war against Amon on the condition that they remain independent and respected by the Protoss. Their units are good at avoiding damage or reconstructing from them, they have lots of colossi, and other cool things.

Nerazim: Dark Templar who do not want to "submit" to the Khalai, they oppose the other Protoss factions. They are led by the Dark Archon, Ulrezaj, and they want the Khalai off of Shakuras and destroyed. They're even willing to work with Amon to do it. Probably the most guerrilla faction, focusing on stealth infantry and dirty tricks. They also have Dark Archons and like taking control of worker units from other factions because that's fun.

Xel'Naga: Oh yes, the "fourth faction." Basically Amon's (one of the last Xel'naga) personal army, composed of various Protoss/Zerg hybrids and Xel'Naga automatons. Amon plans basically killing everything and ending the "infinite cycle," which he blames is the source of all suffering and conflict in the universe. They're a turtle faction: slow to get going, but once they do, watch out. Their first units are weak, slow scouts, but once they get to higher tech tiers, tremendously powerful units come out. Their units are slow, so good micro would defeat them.

Greenskins: Natives of the planet Draenor, a world from beyond the Void that has been transported to the Koprulu sector by using Void technology to throw their entire planet into this dimension. Referred to as "greenskins" because of their green skin, they aren't humanoid at all, looking more like lizards crossed with centipedes. Apart from Void tech, they're on the low-tech side, with rusty, ramshackle weapons that wouldn't look out of place in a post-Soviet boneyard. They're proud and noble warriors, but they are getting into fights with all of the other Koprulu sector factions because of misunderstandings. They're also running away from some scary Void entities, shit that would make Amon run the other way. Gameplay-wise, these greenskins are on the choppy end of the shooty-choppy dichotomy. They're middle of the road with regard to numbers and base stats: they shouldn't be able to field the same masses of bodies as the Zerg, and they should lose one-to-one with the Protoss. In a way, they're a bit like the Terrans, but they're on the other end of choppy vs. shooty. While the Terrans have one melee unit (the firebat), all of the orc's infantry are melee save for one. To facilitate this, the orcs are pretty sturdy. Their units generally take a lot of damage before going down, but they can't actually hurt you until they're in melee range.

[1] Subtle, Blizzard.