6 Races on SC II?!?

[Mendes]

This is a wild speculation, just like everything else ... but let us review the facts:

1. There was a secret mission revealing the existence of hybrids
2. Kerrigan has her own broods growing
3. The UED won't just sit around doing nothing

4. Blizzard has announced the existence of 3 races.

5. The Xel'Naga probably play some part in the whole scheme.
6. As long as there are zerg, there is an overmind, because the Overmind IS the collective consciousness of the zerg. So, there is/should be an overmind. The overmind cannot be Kerrigan because she is human and does not have the mental capacity to be the Overmind.

Therefore, I propose the existence of SIX races. Yes, 6.

People will probably think that the existence of 6 races will be a balancing nightmare. But actually, it's quite simple. Make them race-pairs ... quark and anti-quark.

Comments?

[JASON626]

Six playable races would be awesome. I personally like more than three. It just adds so much more life, longevity and diversity.

[General Tekno]

A couple comments on that:

1. The UED is pretty much finished. Their ENTIRE expeditionary fleet, which I imagine was a sizable chunk of their total fleet, was destroyed.

2. The Overmind is dead for now. Kerrigan took out pretty much all the cerebrates that posed a threat (save Daggoth, perhaps?) and without an Overmind to reincarnate the Cerebrates, they're permanently toast. She also CLEARLY has the mental capacity to control the Swarm.

3. I don't think the Xel'Naga will be a playable race - more likely they'll fill the role the Burning Legion did in WC3. And if the Hybrids ARE playable, they'll probably be a minirace like the Naga.

I think it would be a nightmare for Blizzard to add 3 new races, myself. Starcraft is built on race diversity, which works for 3 races. It starts to break down the more races you add.

[rottenjoe]

1.how is the xel'naga going to be part of the whole scheme sense it is just a shelter for the protoss when alll goes wrong.. if you paid attention to the ending of the brood war expantion you would know.. plus it is just a building.

2.The normal Zerg has been defeated.... and kerrigan has taken them over and leads the remaining zerg.

3. and probably the "hybrids" you seen are most likely just different units for the zerg or protoss.

4. and just to tell you.. the over minds r dead.. and kerrigan is not human, and she said that somewhere in the story of the SC1 she has control of the celebrates and blah blah blah.

5. and this "4. Blizzard has announced the existence of 3 races." might be just to tell you that.. there are only 3 races.. cuz it dosnt say there are 3 more.

[General Tekno]

The Xel'Naga were the race that created the Protoss and the Zerg (and were pretty much wiped out by the latter). You're thinking of the Xel'Naga TEMPLE - a structure left behind on Shakuras.

Odds are IMO that the Xel'Naga/Hybrids are a fourth non-playable race.

[CowGoMoo]

there wont be 6 playable factions, a great deal of speculation would lead to 4 and even that I doubt.

6 is too difficult to balance and yet keep the factions as diverse as they were in SC. Even 4 is a bit difficult as seen in WC3 where the factions are not nearly as unique as the 3 in SC.

[Mendes]

true, it's very hard to balance it....but some of those speculations are good on my eyes ;)

[JASON626]

with out speculations what would forums do! :P

[General Tekno]

there wont be 6 playable factions, a great deal of speculation would lead to 4 and even that I doubt.

6 is too difficult to balance and yet keep the factions as diverse as they were in SC. Even 4 is a bit difficult as seen in WC3 where the factions are not nearly as unique as the 3 in SC.

Agreed.

That is why I'm personally convinced we'll only see the original 3 factions, plus a non-playable race.

As to why a non-playable race? Look at it this way: The Hybrids are supposed to be the "perfect" life form - with the essence of the Zerg and the psychic formidability of the Protoss. There is NO WAY you could balance them without nerfing their innate superiority over both races.

[JASON626]

I agree I think only 3 races will be in the game.