A study in wimpification: the protoss

In the StarCraft games, the protoss are just a generic race of dying space elves chasing prophecies in a desperate attempt to stay relevant. They get their asses handed to them in every conflict and the only way they ever win anything at all is by cheating and using plot devices to defeat otherwise invincible enemies.

What if I told you that the original conception of the protoss was closer to the role of vulcans in Star Trek's Federation or the prophets in Halo's Covenant? Hard to believe, right?

That really was their original backstory according to the wiki. Materials outside of the games explain they had a huge interstellar civilization with numerous clients and allies of other species. In the games, they have one or two planets and are easily conquered.

I find this very frustrating. Imagine how much cooler the franchise would have been if the protoss had been this huge interstellar empire that easily rival or overshadow the other races? Hundreds of worlds to explore, numerous tribes to learn about, etc. It would have been amazing, right?

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