Topic
Critiquing & Nitpicking
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A frequent dismissal of critics of WoL is that they are simply engaging in "nitpicking". Defenders then typically follow this charage with a true statement, something along the lines of: "No work of fiction can withstand nitpicking." Which is probably true, as nothing is perfect. So I'll grant them that no work can survive nitpicking and that there is something trivial about nitpicking, BUT I reject that what detractors are doing is in fact nitpicking. To explain this let's get a definition out there:
Nitpicking =df looking for small or unimportant errors or faults, esp. in order to criticize unnecessarily This matches with the original claim that no work can survive nitpicking. Every work has unimportant errors that do not really detract from the overall experience. Along those lines, WoL can certainly be nitpicked: In Zeratul and Kerrigan's fight scene, the spatial orientation between the two changes a great deal. At times Kerrigan seems to be on an elevated area, and at other times Zeratul and she stands on level ground. ← This is a nitpick. The point of the scene is the confrontation between the two characters and the minor shifts in elevation does not detract from that conflict. Pointing out the shifts may serve some humor purposes, but it really isn't an issue that changes how we understand the scene. One could additionally nitpick the fact that Kerrigan in game appears to be approximately 8 billion feet tall. Again, this is a nitpick. Kerrigan needs to be seen as she is an important unit. Additionally, there are storytelling reasons why she is meant to have an imposing presence. While it may take a few minutes to get over snickering at being attacked by a 60 foot centerfold, one can understand the need to do this, and her portrayal does not really change our understanding of her. Along similar nitpicking, during the Overmind's vision, the Overmind claims that it sees more protoss making the last stand than it has ever seen. Yet, in that mission there are not all that many protoss around, certainly not the most the Overmind has ever seen! To criticize that would be a nitpick. We can understand the conflict is bigger than what the game can show. Some degree of imagination is required and the fact that there is a unit cap does not harm the understanding that this is the protoss last stand with the lion share of their race making a desperate (loosing) last stand. Those are three examples of how WoL can be nitpicked. It is lame and if detractors were only forwarding critiques like this, then they would be unfairly nitpicking WoL, but this is simply not the case. There are undoubtedly some that do nitpick WoL, but I do NOT see the majority of outspoken critics doing so. I see the majority as providing thoughtful, logical, and insightful critique of major issues in the game. Additionally, I see many of the defenders of WoL providing some thoughtful, logical, and insightful defenses as well. At their best, neither side is nitpicking. The difference between a nitpick and an interesting critique is that nitpicks are unimportant errors or faults: nitpicks do NOT change the way we understand the game, characters, scene, etc. If Zeratul and Kerrigan had fought on equal ground the entire fight it would not drastically change the impact or our understanding of the conflict. That is the difference: legitimate critique does change our understanding and the impact on the understanding of a character, scene, etc. Here are three examples of NON-nitpicks: The Overmind's freewill is not a nitpick, the Overmind is a pivotal character in SC, and its lack of freewill is a major shift in WoL. The agency of the Overmind is a driving force in the games. To examine that concept is not a nitpick because the motivations of the Overmind is crucial to understand the game. Understanding freewill and the Overmind fundamentally changes how we understand the character and the games. Problems emerging from a lack of freewill potentially breaks the storyline because freewill plays such a prominent role in the story! Understanding Raynor's motivations is not a nitpick. Raynor is the primary character in WoL. His actions and motivations are the driving force behind the WoL narrative. WoL is championed (by defenders and Blizzard alike) as a more character driven story, understanding that character and how that character changes (both between BW and WoL and within the events of WoL), is crucial to knowing the story. Inconsistencies in his mood/motivation can make or break the story because to a large degree it is a story about his mood/motivations! Understanding the relationship between Kerrigan and the Queen of Blades is not a nitpick. Depending on how one views the relationship between Kerrigan and the Queen of Blades (are they the same or different) fundamentally affects how we understand the games. Inconsistencies with how she is treated muddies the way the game is to be understood and since Kerrigan (or Kerrigan and the Queen of Blades if they are different) is/are such important character/s, then if she/they are broken, then the story is likely broken as well. The list could easily go on. Calling such critiques "nitpicks" is likely an attempt to marginalize the critique though rhetoric rather than argumentation. But if examining something like Raynor's motivation is just a nitpick, then how in the world are we to understand WoL? Unlike a nitpick, understanding these issues fundamentally change the way the story is understood. These are meaningful aspects of the story, and cry out for meaningful examination. Errors and faults in the presentation of these issues can (and do) break the story. |
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Edited by Brathearon on 1/10/12 10:46 AM (PST)
Along similar nitpicking, during the Overmind's vision, the Overmind claims that it sees more protoss making the last stand than it has ever seen. Yet, in that mission there are not all that many protoss around, certainly not the most the Overmind has ever seen! To criticize that would be a nitpick. We can understand the conflict is bigger than what the game can show. Some degree of imagination is required and the fact that there is a unit cap does not harm the understanding that this is the protoss last stand with the lion share of their race making a desperate (loosing) last stand. I believe raynor said its more protoss and he (raynor) knew existed? I realize this is one of the nitpicking points. |
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@ Brath
I don't feel like looking it up, but even if you are right, Raynor helped defend Auir so, again, it seems pretty unlikely that the 45 zealots in the prophecy are the most protoss he's ever seen :P But, again, it's being nitpicking and we understand that the game could not handle rendering the entire remaining population of the protoss. |
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Horner: You look shaken, sir. What's wrong?
Raynor: Zeratul called it a vision of the future. It was the end times, Matt. Armageddon. More protoss than we ever knew existed, but there still weren't enough to stop the hybrid. Horner: But what about Kerrigan? Wasn't she supposed to stop them? Raynor: In this time-line she was dead. Killed by...us. That's what Zeratul's been trying to tell us all along. She has to live or we're all doomed. :) |
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Its not about "nitpicking vs major flaws". When people discuss things they dont understand, such as raynor's motivations, people provide logical explanations that are available from the information given. People nitpick those explanations.
Using this specific example again, we can easily follow his reasoning for doing something like sparing kerrigan and how he changed his mind. Only the death of fenix was the tipping point, but until then he was ready to spare her. In WoL he hasnt changed his mind, at least not yet. New developments occur in WoL. The biggest ones are zeratul's vision, and the xel'naga artifact. I'm not sure how much more clear it can be. People are nitpicking by saying this isnt enough, or that kerrigan should still stay evil (which we dont know if she will or not!). However, knowing the final answer beforehand destroys the point of the final scene. Especially when we have a new development during that scene, which is the betrayal. This is also a nitpick. |
Correct, he makes a vow to personally kill her. One that is meant to span a long period of time. (it may not be tomorrow...etc)
He starts the game by staring longingly at her picture. At this point I already knew he would be saving her.
Which he doesn't reference a single time outside of those missions which you may or may not have played. (You cannot separate the plot from the presentation! You can have an amazing plot with terrible presentation and ultimately the story will be terrible)
The answer was known by a lot of people in the opening scene.
This was blown even before the opening scene. The opening game cinematic flat out tells us that Tychus is working for Arcturus. |
Its not about "nitpicking vs major flaws". When people discuss things they dont understand, such as raynor's motivations, people provide logical explanations that are available from the information given. People nitpick those explanations. From scene 1 we know that Raynor is going to spare Kerrigan. I realize you have a theory that only you believe about the meaning of the opening scene. You have consistently argued that the vendetta is in effect in the opening scene. Contrary to all indications, Raynor is not pining over a photo of Kerrigan, and he still wants to kill the Queen of Blades. It is only when Valerian offers him the chance to redeem Kerrigan that he allows himself hope of her salvation. This is, as far as I can tell, your argument. Which means even if you believe the vendetta is in place (which you are the only one that believes that), the moment Valerian shows up the tension is thwarted, because from the first scene we know that Raynor wants Kerrigan back. The tension of the last scene utterly dissolved about 1/2 - 3/4 of the way through the game because we already know how Raynor is going to act. People that understand the opening scene know Raynor's choice from the first scene of the game! Which means the final "twist" is known from either the 1st scene of the game or 1/2-3/4 the way through. Again look at the definition of a nitpick: Nitpicking =df looking for small or unimportant errors or faults, esp. in order to criticize unnecessarily if you think that Raynor's emotional state is nitpicking then, nothing is a nitpick because WoL is driven by the Raynor character! Also ibid. on everything Lovely said. |
he actually references the xel'naga artifact several times. We even have a discussion between tychus and raynor that directly talks about whether or not its worth it to spare her, deinfested or not.
It wasnt that he was working for arcturus that was supposed to be the surprise. Nobody predicted that tychus would plan on killing kerrigan. Everyone assumed that he was just in it for surveillance and/or killing raynor. From scene 1 we know that Raynor is going to spare Kerrigan. I realize you have a theory that only you believe about the meaning of the opening scene. You have consistently argued that the vendetta is in effect in the opening scene. Contrary to all indications, Raynor is not pining over a photo of Kerrigan, and he still wants to kill the Queen of Blades. It is only when Valerian offers him the chance to redeem Kerrigan that he allows himself hope of her salvation. This is, as far as I can tell, your argument. Which means even if you believe the vendetta is in place (which you are the only one that believes that), the moment Valerian shows up the tension is thwarted, because from the first scene we know that Raynor wants Kerrigan back. The bolded part i wanted to address separately. First off, we have blizzard even telling us that the opening scene raynor was planning on saving her. Ill quote what i posted in the other thread. Chris: Oh, I don't think that he’s forgotten who Fenix is at all. And I guess the pithy response would be, it ain't over yet. I don't mean anything by that but, I think the context of her changed radically. The events of Brood War and components of the first game, he’s under the conclusion that there's nothing in the universe that will save this girl, she is simply the Queen of Blades, it's done. And she just proves to be more and more evil over time. And the significant thing that occurs in Wings of Liberty you know Valerian tells him "hey, there might be a chance to change her back" It’s a game changer for him. He never allowed himself hope, he never considered it could be a possibility. It changed his whole sense of thinking. Now, there's still things that'll play out. I am not suggesting he's going to kill Kerrigan. I guess I am not suggesting he won't either. [Brian laughs] I mean, even if they get together relationships are rough, right? Any normal Wednesday night at home she burns the steak... The other problem with that is we even have an alternate future shown to us where raynor killed kerrigan. See, this is a nitpick. When I explain what his emotional state actually was, you disagree because it played a factor for sparing her, and in the end he decided to spare her. It would be similar for me to say that knowing the zerg were after psionic creatures to fight against the protoss kills the surprise of kerrigan's infestation in SC1. |
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Edited by JohnnyZeWolf on 2/5/12 5:46 AM (PST)
Let's face it: even if there weren't any love/hate relationship between the two in the end, this boy and this girl have been central to the plot up to this point.
Heck, you have these people calling Raynor an "everyman" and belittling his strength as a commander... but at the same time they were expecting his revenge vow to be a major plot point, just as they were sort of expecting him of all people to kill the overpowered demigoddess that is now Sarah Kerrigan. So yes, I'd say it's pretty damn accurate to say StarCraft is ultimately about a boy and a girl. Whether they end up loving or killing each other doesn't change anything to that. |
Let's come at this from a different angle: Definitely. the main character you play as is a male character. The biggest villian he encounters (excluding the hybrid encounters) is kerrigan. She is even bigger than mengsk. He drops everything, even works with the dominion to bring her down. In the end, instead of killing her, he decides to spare her. Of course blizzard even had a clever way of showing us a story about raynor killing her as well. |
Definitely. the main character you play as is a male character. The biggest villian he encounters (excluding the hybrid encounters) is kerrigan. She is even bigger than mengsk. He drops everything, even works with the dominion to bring her down. In the end, instead of killing her, he decides to spare her. Of course blizzard even had a clever way of showing us a story about raynor killing her as well. That's true of WoL, but not of all of SC in general. SC isn't and shouldn't be about "this boy and this girl." |
Let's come at this from a different angle: So let me get this straight. You think all of starcraft is ultimately about a boy and a girl. It isn't about the struggle of perfection, the death of Tassadar, the conflict between the Zerg and the Protoss, the sins of the xel'naga, hell the Dark Voice's manipulations, nope. It all comes down to Kerrigan and Raynor's love story? |
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Edited by JohnnyZeWolf on 2/5/12 12:20 PM (PST)
Oh, the game's universe is bigger than Raynor and Kerrigan. But so far, the story focus has been mostly on these two. I mean, even the Star Wars movie series ultimately boils down to a father and his son.
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