Something about a bunch of wobbling fleshy lumps and a floating eyeball holding a war council is just so humorous to me

Aldaris ragequitting at 46:50 gets me every time LMAO

This dialogue had a lot of nuance and subtlety for an RTS. First mission drops in the player Magistrate missing a military transmission because they were at dinner. Says a lot about the quiet, cushy Mar Sara command post you have. Next thing you hear is Duke wearily reciting standard procedures. It's a great cold open, and puts the "doom of the galaxy" stuff in perspective in a way that Starcraft II's constant spectacle kinda didn't. There the first mission was an open rebellion, "power to the people"! Here it's just two tired people trying to do their job.

Those briefings are so good. I remember looking forward to the briefings just as much as looking forward to the missions.

"Shut up, Arcturus! If I wanted your damn opinion, I would have beaten it out of ya."
😆😆😆😆😆😆😆

Fenix at 34:07 is the toughest possible shit I think I've ever seen in a narrative.

There isn't a hint of sadness, or even anger (contrary to Zeratul who seems pissed off when he speaks).

Fenix is GENUINELY undeterred. He isnt talking shit, the fact that he is still able to fight, and in some way do his part, his duty to his kin, overshadows anything negative he might feel about his situation.

Everyone was using Zoom back then

Damn. I remember replaying Broodwar before SC2 released and really taking in Raynor's vow to see Kerrigan dead. Then suddenly the opening scene of WoL is him longing for her. Was a bizarre moment.

A moment of silence for Mar Sarah colony

I like how in the final briefing, after Kerrigan tells off DuGalle, the other screens slowly go blank one at a time, leaving Kerrigan there for one last moment, putting the focus on her and leaving the player alone with her and identify solidly with her.  StarCraft was masterful at integrating briefings with a styled narrative.  I like the new style for Artanis - he seemed a little too preppy in the original.

Briefing music difference

Terran- Military missions objectives
Protoss- Serving their glorious kingdom
Zerg- Rulling the world with infestation

01. 0:00 - Terran 01: Boot Camp (Tutorial)
02. 0:26 - Terran 02: Wasteland
03. 1:42 - Terran 03: Backwater Station
04. 2:47 - Terran 04: Desperate Alliance
05. 4:51 - Terran 05: The Jacobs Installation
06. 6:03 - Terran 06: Revolution
07. 7:14 - Terran 07: Norad II
08. 8:38 - Terran 08: The Trump Card
09. 10:58 - Terran 09: The Big Push
10. 12:05 - Terran 10: New Gettysburg
11. 13:01 - Terran 11: The Hammer Falls
-
12. 14:43 - Zerg 01: Among the Ruins
13. 15:52 - Zerg 02: Egression
14. 17:03 - Zerg 03: The New Dominion
15. 18:00 - Zerg 04: Agent of the Swarm
16. 18:53 - Zerg 05: The Amerigo
17. 20:39 - Zerg 06: The Dark Templar
18. 21:55 - Zerg 07: The Culling
19. 23:00 - Zerg 08: Eye for an Eye
20. 24:25 - Zerg 09: The Invasion of Aiur
21. 25:13 - Zerg 10: Full Circle
-
22. 26:16 - Protoss 01: First Strike
23. 27:17 - Protoss 02: Into the Flames
24. 29:08 - Protoss 03: Higher Ground
25. 30:28 - Protoss 04: The Hunt for Tassadar
26. 31:43 - Protoss 05: Choosing Sides
27. 33:38 - Protoss 06: Into the Darkness
28. 34:03 - Protoss 07: Homeland
29. 35:47 - Protoss 08: The Trial of Tassadar
30. 36:50 - Protoss 09: Shadow Hunters
31. 38:37 - Protoss 10: Eye of the Storm
Brood War:
32. 40:11 - Protoss 01: Escape from Aiur
33. 42:42 - Protoss 02: Dunes of Shakuras
34. 43:37 - Protoss 03: Legacy of the Xel'Naga
35. 46:15 - Protoss 04: The Quest for Uraj
36. 48:54 - Protoss 05: The Battle of Braxis
37. 50:36 - Protoss 06: Return to Char
38. 52:42 - Protoss 07: The Insurgent
39. 54:27 - Protoss 08: Countdown
-
40. 56:43 - Terran 01: First Strike
41. 58:57 - Terran 02: The Dylarian Shipyards
42. 1:01:12 - Terran 03: Ruins of Tarsonis
43. 1:03:20 - Terran 04: Assault on Korhal
44. 1:05:29 - Terran 05: Emperor's Fall (Ground Zero)
45. 1:06:46 - Terran 06: Emperor's Flight
46. 1:08:12 - Terran 07: Patriot's Blood
47. 1:10:10 - Terran 08: To Chain the Beast
-
48. 1:11:46 - Zerg 01: Vile Disruption
49. 1:13:51 - Zerg 02: Reign of Fire
50. 1:15:47 - Zerg 03: The Kel-Morian Combine
51. 1:17:40 - Zerg 04: The Liberation of Korhal
52. 1:18:49 - Zerg 05: True Colors
53. 1:20:24 - Zerg 06: Fury of The Swarm
54. 1:21:16 - Zerg 07: Drawing of the Web
55. 1:22:47 - Zerg 08: To Slay the Beast
56. 1:25:04 - Zerg 09: The Reckoning
57. 1:26:39 - Zerg 10: Dark Origin (Bonus)
58. 1:28:00 - Zerg 11: Omega

Comment update #1 (July 2, 2020):
- Fixed some time errors.

The Overmind talks like the Biblical God of the Old Testament. Powerful and terrifying.

I read a comment a while ago that said SC and Broodwar had a space "noir" vibe which really set its story apart and gave it a unique identity. It was operic, it wanted to bring into its story. It didn't want you to just play, it gave you the roll of someone in charge and you where there for the decision meetings, not just a foot soldier doing what you were told to do over comms.

Anytime I watch these it just stands out so much more now.

Sometimes I forget how great the story and voice acting was for a 25 year old game before gaming companies started using professional voice actors.

I never noticed it but when the overmind speaks it's very religious in tone. As if his whole life is a holy pilgrimage that leads to aiur. And I love that's it's a hive mind of individuals that serve a master but bicker amongst themselves

I absolutely love the tone and delivery of these stories, they're unforgettable plots and characters, especially the human stories which are rife with betrayal and regret.

Thanks for uploading this compilation of the breifings!

BE SILENT JUDICATOR

This game is a masterpiece.

I love this. And I sometime use it as asmr. Thank you for sharing this.