Okay, so, I looked everywhere for a topic on this, and since I didn't find one (which kinda surprised me), I'm gonna make one.

I'm assuming I'm not the only one that's noticed that zerglings in Starcraft are actually kind of cute. They look cute, sound cute, and run cute. I'm sure many people would actually buy zergling plushies if they existed. My point is, I looked up zerglings for SC2 out of curiosity, and I've noticed that their design is actually pretty lame right now, as it seems to have been unnecessarily changed. They no longer have dog-like bodies and dog/raptor-like muzzles like SC lings, but rather have flatter faces and big tusks sticking out from the sides, with heavy-looking bodies and bug wings that totally make them look like roaches from an overhead view. I mean, I'm new, but I thought the point of the zergling was to be fairly fast. The new zerglings are not only ugly, but unnecessarily altered to look most unswift.

Okay, just so we're clear:

SC Manual art


SC zergling overhead view


This is the original zergling as everyone sees it now...

Now for the changes:


SC2 zergling overhead view


SC2 winged model

This is the horror. I've found this in several places just searching Starcraft sites, to my dismay--I was hoping it was a badly done fan art or something, because surely they wouldn't have done this...


This is the conceptual abomination (even for the zerg) conceived by the Blizzard artist.

Now, these are just ugly. They've gone and destroyed the zergling that everyone knows and loves. That chaps my hide, it really does. Samwise Didier, the art director and concept artist, was commenting on the latter pic on Blizzcast. And I quote:

Quote

Well, we took the basic shape and style, and the elements of the zergling that everyone liked, the little small hoppy guys, mouth full of teeth and claws and all that and, when doing the concept, it’s like, "Okay, yeah, this is cool, we got a zergling. It’s a little bit tweaked different than the original one"...

BS. They don't look anything like the original one. I wouldn't have even assumed this was a zergling if I just saw the picture. It's not "a little bit tweaked," it's "totally and completely overhauled," and for the worst at that.

And I quote Mr. Didier again:

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But that was basically the idea. Was to take, you know, sort of a cool character from StarCraft and then give it the next level up. Like, not changing what it is. Like everyone who looks at this won’t say, “What the hell’s that?” you know. It’s a zergling. You know what it is. "It’s a zergling, Lester, a different kind of zerg."

BS. Totally changing what it is. Everyone who looks at this, outside of the context of SC2, or perhaps even in it, will say "What the hell's that?" because it doesn't look like a zergling at all. In case anyone else can't believe this was actually said, here's the source: http://www.blizzard.com/blizzcast/archive/episode1.xml

I just think it would be a shame to let them make the zerglings super-amazingly hideous for no reason. Sure, give them wings, but the whole look doesn't need to be overhauled. And bug wings just make me want to smack it with a fly swatter about 26 times to be perfectly honest. I just figured since no one's brought attention to this that I should, before they release it like this. Doesn't this bother anyone else?

Finally, roaches (not to be confused with the new Roach unit) "emerging" from a sewer grating:
http://gomeler.com/pic/Articles/Starcraft%202/Zergling%20Rush%20Small.jpg (img tag not working here.)

Samwise threatened us not to talk about it under the penalty of this:

why wasn't the first pic of this topic used as the model?... sam wise is a doosh D:

Quote from chuiu

Samwise threatened us not to talk about it under the penalty of this:

I forget where he said that... but wasn't he referencing complaining about them having wings? In any case, I found this:

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How did you handle the Dark Templar design and the critique?
- It was a lot of people's favorite character, so it's hard to please everybody. Some people loved the new design, some hated it. It's the same as the wings on the Zerglings, some loved it some did not. Now it's removed. We will make the game so we think it's cool. It's a gut feeling.

source: http://www.gosugamers.net/starcraft/news/8104-a-q-a-with-samwise-didier


Also please note Samwise's early concept art of the original zergling:


This is quite similarly sucky. He obviously was hoping they'd go back to his roots with the bulky, over-ugly design that looks like something from warcraft fanart. I really wish they wouldn't use warcraft artists for SC > >...

In any case, yes, I completely agree with the issue at hand. I hate the new zergling. I believe you forgot to add this pic to the discussion:

edit: flipping image won't display sometimes, so link: http://images.wikia.com/starcraft/images/a/ac/Zergling_SC2_HeadAnim1.gif

That's the new profile pic. That's what I hate seeing. The face isn't anywhere near the same, nor does it "act" it. Zerglings were lovable. They are basically the cutest unit in starcraft that is simultaneously one of the most scary. It makes the players love them more, not less. And there should totally be zergling plushies... there's gotta be an sc plushie maker in korea somewhere =P.

If Zerglings get wings, Zealots should fly.

He wasn't hoping to go back to old zergling, he liked the new one a lot. The reason they're going back to old design is because of all us complaining about it (YES THANK YOU FOR LISTENING +10 points to blizzard). I can tell he feels strongly about his new designs but also understands that changing them means alienating a lot of people who love the old designs.

They're making a right decision, imo, but there are also aspects of the new DT and Zergling that look pretty awesome. For example the feet of the new zergling (getting rid of webbed feet) looks good, matter of fact all they have to do to the current model is remove its wings and shorten it a tiny bit. The DT's armor looks really cool, all they need to do is bring him back to his old weapon.

I wouldn't mind if they changed the zerglings a little maybe, but the fact of the current design is that it's completely redone, and looks like an entirely different unit, and might as well be. Heck, they could make it another unit, I wouldn't care. It's just not a ling's all.

Quote from chuiu

He wasn't hoping to go back to old zergling, he liked the new one a lot. The reason they're going back to old design is because of all us complaining about it (YES THANK YOU FOR LISTENING +10 points to blizzard). I can tell he feels strongly about his new designs but also understands that changing them means alienating a lot of people who love the old designs.

You misunderstand. I meant that the new concept art looks like the original concept art (black and white pic) which came before the zergling we know and love. I'm certainly grateful that they have taken the wings out, but what company wouldn't after so many people complained about it? Furthermore they had no features implemented to make use of the wings, afaik, though some stuff was considered.

It's sad people didn't complain about the physical features though, because I have the feeling many haven't really noticed the changes beyond the wings much. I get the feeling not many people noticed the profile pic, for one.

Quote from chuiu

They're making a right decision, imo, but there are also aspects of the new DT and Zergling that look pretty awesome. For example the feet of the new zergling (getting rid of webbed feet) looks good, matter of fact all they have to do to the current model is remove its wings and shorten it a tiny bit. The DT's armor looks really cool, all they need to do is bring him back to his old weapon.

This isn't about the DT (though the context of the quote was), but I'd say it looks very unlike them... I need to brush up on my broodwar game-lore, but I would think the DT people probably didn't fight so much that things like armor and crazy weapons were necessary, so I can see them changing I suppose a good bit. Weapon's pretty weird, kinda cool, though kinda too warcraft-looking IMO, ie, fantasy-esque.

As for the lings, I don't mind seeing them get minor changes. The new hydralisk is fairly normal, but has a billion spikes... I think this should be toned down, but it doesn't look too horrible. Zerglings on the other hand are light, fast, agile creatures. Wth is this new thing they call a zergling? not only is it far too bulky, but it doesn't even have a face close to the old one. Change its feet, I don't care. Give it more spikes like they seem to like to do now. Whatever. But frickin' keep its identity. Its face is that, and its general shape is that.

One thing that bothers me a bit is the idea of units mutating since the broodwar era but not gaining any stat/ability changes. Wings? weird, but maybe, if there's an effect. I'd hate to see their current (but wingless) physical change being validated by a stat/ability change admittedly, but if they keep it, they'd better at least have something.

The spikes definitely need to be toned down on the hydra, its one thing to upgrade the appearance of something to make it look better but all the extra spikes is just overkill and makes it harder to differentiate units from each other.

StrikerX22, that is an outdated StarCraft II Zergling portrait.

Quote from KrayZee

StrikerX22, that is an outdated StarCraft II Zergling portrait.

Then link us to an updated one please.

Quote from JaFF

Quote from KrayZee

StrikerX22, that is an outdated StarCraft II Zergling portrait.

Then link us to an updated one please.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_8_zxOX32E

Find it.

Were we supposed to actually be able to find it in a youtube vid?

Took me 20 seconds to find. Skip to 2:50.

Quote from aphtershox

Were we supposed to actually be able to find it in a youtube vid?

It is rare to find a Zergling Portrait through a fucking screenshot...

In fact, I never found any.

Well, I see SOMEthing at 2:50 and after at about 2:55 that vaguely resembles the portrait that StrikerX22 posted. But heck, it's like bad quality anyway in a vid....what was the point again?

Not that you mention it, the wings do look ugly...

That's sad. The "updated" pic looks very similar to the one I posted, as much as it could with youtube's quality. It looks like it's at a different angle and darker is all. It's too hard to say from that. soooo I don't really see the point to pointing out my outdated pic, unless you can find something we can actually see. I mean really.

and please, call me striker--you don't have to say someone's whole name to communicate =P.

That picture is clearly updated, the three portraits you see in the StarCraft II website stood there since the announcement of StarCraft II. Only the Zealot's portrait seen in the StarCraft II website can be seen on the most recent build.

Quote from KrayZee

That picture is clearly updated, the three portraits you see in the StarCraft II website stood there since the announcement of StarCraft II. Only the Zealot's portrait seen in the StarCraft II website can be seen on the most recent build.

In my defense, I NEVER look at the intro area of that site anymore. I did it once, and I prolly didn't even know that was supposed to be a flippin ling =P. But for sure, That was a long time ago, and I would've forgotten it. and yes the "picture" is updated, but from what we can see, we don't know if the model is different. Once again, if you can find a better pic, I'd be grateful of course. I'll keep an eye out.