Have you tried the new factions for the DE yet?
I haven’t bought it yet… it’ll be part of a Christmas present for dad.
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The Horners- co-op campaign- A mysterious mercenary organization has decimated outlying colony worlds by using an enslaved brood augmented with Terran technology. Admiral Horner believes that only a corrupt Dominion official would have enough resources to pull this off, but bureaucratic red tape is keeping him from finding the culprit. Fortunately, He has an ally outside the law who can help him expose the Cerberus program’s crimes: Mira Han. Default game mode is two-player with optional single-player.
Main Characters: Mira Han, Matt Horner, Tamsen Cauley, Michael Liberty
Ascendancy- After winning the title of Highlord, Alarak sought to secure his position with inspiring propaganda chronicling his rise to power. Alarak’s memoirs detail the greatest triumphs of his career (similar to memoirs of Julius Caesar). The player will quickly learn that Alarak is an unreliable narrator (like Caesar) when his present day dictation contradicts the flashback missions (especially when downplaying the role others played in his rise). Each mission pack ends in a Rak’Shir duel in which Alarak must choose sides (even non-canon outcomes like helping Nuroka defeat Ma’lash). Bonus objectives will help Alarak climb the chain by sabotaging rivals and acquiring spoils of war. In the first mission a young Alarak rises above his fellow supplicants by becoming the first Tal Darim to capture Colossi from a Khalai vault. After that he leads the first incursion into the Koprulu Sector, revealing the existence of the Tal Darim to the known galaxy. Zeratul has a cameo role to put Alarak on the path of opposing Amon, much like he did in WOL and HOTS.
Main Characters: Alarak, Ma’lash, Nuroka, Zeratul
Bel Shir Conflict- The Spectres, Mecha-Swarm and Tal Darim all vie for control of Bel Shir and its addictive Terrazine supply. There are three missions per faction plus a tenth mission to determine the winner of the conflict. Attentive players may find clues sprinkled throughout the campaign regarding the identity of the mysterious goddess manipulating all three factions.
Main Characters: Gabriel Tosh, Egon Stettman, Ji’Nara
Umojan Expedition- A Umojan Science Vessel embarks on a voyage to make first contact with the alien races that were previously under the protection of the defunct Protoss empire. Feral Zerg, illegal Kel Morian prospectors, and Tal Darim crusaders endanger the expedition, but the xenophilic Umojans hope alliances with new alien races will be the first steps toward a peaceful federation. This campaign should take most of its inspiration from Star Trek.
Main Characters: Agent Pandora, Louise DuPre, Alphastar (a sentient adjutant)
Real Men Drill Deep- A satirical comedy about an ambitious Kel Morian Overseer who seeks a position on the ruling Board of Directors. He concocts a plan to mine enough Jorium crystals to bribe his way to the top, but the only way to acquire enough Jorium is to set up illegal mining operations outside Kel Morian territory. The player can choose to take cost cutting measures to maximize profits, but these debuffs are very high risk/ high reward. The Overseer will also have to put down a general strike when his selfish workers whine about their “hazardous” work conditions. Inspirations include The Outer Worlds and Tropico.
Main Characters: The Overseer, Margaret (an unnecessarily sexualized adjutant)
I’d slit my wrist if I had to listen to Stettman for an entire campaign. Haaaaa… Gary. The bot’s name is Gary. It’s funny because it’s a robot.
I want a mini campaign focused on the Ihan-rii! Or at least have them involved.
You could have a Vorazun focused Campaign where she convinces the Ihan-rii to join.
1-That is cliché as hell. Also, Horner is one of the highest ranking people in the entire Dominion.
2-Nice way to have a campaign with canon discrepancies. Love this one.
3-Contains Stettman. Scratch.
4-I like it under the assumption there will be some hard learnt lessons for the Umojans.
5- Now that’s a new concept. Playing as a villain, but a very human one. Just a greedy son of a gun against the universe.
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I actually created a Terrazine-addicted Zerg brood that could replace the Mecha-Swarm in the Bel Shir Conflict. My pitch above included the Mecha-Swarm just to stick with current canon.
Actually, I hate his number 2 idea. It sounds fun and interesting, but it doesn’t feel like Alarak. Only weak dictator needs that kind of propaganda. A cunning and powerful leader like Alarak just put the fear of god into his subject and let them whisper about his deed on their own.
Think John Wick and his pencil for example.
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I heard Alarak killed 200 people with his ducking glare.
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I heard they actually committed suicide to avoid that glare.
Yup. Also a bunch of Supplicants died when he rushed in to the fray.
I’ll try to make my case.
Alarak is better than a powerful dictator; he’s a smart dictator. Rak’shir duels allow a leader’s followers to empower their champion so popular support is far more important than individual strength or bravado (in that regard, Rak’Shir could be considered a violent form of democracy). Alarak seems to realize his base of support is weak due to needing outsiders to overcome Ma’lash, so he games the system to make resistance impossible. He twice sends Ji’nara (the only candidate eligible to succeed him) against an opponent who has already proven she can best her. These repeated defeats undermine Ji’nara’s case that she would be a better Highlord. At the same time, Alarak seems willing to interfere in Ji’nara’s own Rak’shir (assuming there is slight canonicity in co-op) which effectively prevents anyone from replacing her. The system is supposed to favor younger, stronger candidates but if Alarak take credit for all Tal’darim victories and scapegoats Ji’nara for all defeats he may very well become the first Highlord to die of old age. A propaganda piece that extols Alarak’s many victories (and conveniently never mentions Glacius) only furthers this narrative.
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Hardly a democracy with such a small amount of contenders in it. More like an oligarchy where anybody can cut out anybody lesser than them.
While I do like the Tal’darim… I personally, wouldn’t want a mini campaign focused on them. At least not next. I’d rather Nerazim or Ihan-rii be the main focus. Introduce us to an Ihan-rii character (and hopefully hero unit 
).
I don’t think so. As in, I’m one, and probably only one, of the few who thinks that Rak’shir limits your ability to challenge any superior to just ‘one link’ above you is ridiculous.
Regardless, your point would be valid only in a society like North Korea where people lack better form of communication. For an advanced civilization like the Tal’darim with any form of Internet, the effort will backfire without strong censorship hitherto unseen.
Anyway, it was hinted in the canon that the first defeat was due to Alarak wanting to cull his weakest people. While the second one, it seems he really want to win. Even though I like your idea about undermining Ji’nara, I don’t think that’s canon.
First you cull the weak, then you let the remaining ones prove their worth.
Yes, something like that. And then maybe induced some internal conflict and let them Rak’shir each other instead of him.
They could make a lot of campaigns if they wanted to. Like what did Dehaka and Tosh did during and after the End War? How did the Tal’darim re-establish themselves after parting ways with Artanis? And hey they just gave SC2 campaign a whole new expansion if they made campaigns after these characters.
Exodus: Most of the Khalai learned to make peace with the loss of the Khala, but a tiny sect of mystics seek a way to replace it. They use a mental imprint found on an ancient Khaydarin crystal to resurrect Khas himself as a purifier personality. The mystics are exiled from Aiur for their sacrilege and must fend for themselves in a hostile universe. Khas guides his disciples in developing a cybernetic implant that allows organic Protoss to connect to the Purifier’s data web. The Disciples can access the data web for High Templar powers or disconnect to use the void. Khas plans to return to Aiur to convince the rest of the Daelaam to adopt the implants, but one of his most devout followers suspects something is wrong with the digital messiah.
Lost Tribe: A mysterious planet materializes from the void after vanishing hundreds of years ago. Now treasure hunters must pick through the Protoss ruins before the planet disappears again. They will learn the hard way that the cursed world of the lost tribe should have remained undisturbed.
Colonial Magistrate: An experimental campaign that transforms starcraft into a colony simulator. Exploit resources, trade with other colonies, and use you meager militia to defend against wildlife and the infested. Each map offers new environmental dangers to shake things up. If the colony is in dire need they can accept help from either the Dominion or the Koprulu Liberation Front, but picking a side has consequences.
Why not just restart the khala like normal? It’s not like they can’t do it anymore.