The human look is so prevelant in Scifi because traditionally it was cheeper to put make up on an actor, than the other options that exist.

Wade

Brudda, don't fret... I totally understand what you mean... I have found many amazing examples of non-earthlike aliens.... I.e. the typical humanoids.. but because we only have 5 hull styles... I do not feel that they would use such conventional ships...


once the mods come out.. I will start tinkering and learning, and I will create something interesting, or help someone else do it....


But the 3 Aliens I play the Most, The Nasarog (rhino's), The Teddi Baerus (evil Teddy Bears), and the Pryde (a Kzin like cat species), are mostly bipedal... but do functionw ell as quadra peds.

er... like the hamburger?

IMHO Aliens should look RADICALLY different from humans and have little or no humanoid traits. Why is the humanoid look (two eyes, a nose, a mouth, two arms, etc.) SO prevalent in Science Fiction?

I completely agree... so many sci-fi shows and movies have aliens as looking like humans, but with different colors and bumps.

The reason it's so popular in games is because developers get most of their ideas from movies and television. And the reason the human-like aliens are so popular in movies and television is two-fold... first producers/writers lack creativity which is why most movies being released are from old comics or old books. Second is it's financially easier to get an actor into a humanoid looking alien outfit compared with some 5 legged and 3 headed alien outfit.

It isn't easy to just come up with something radically different that looks like it would work in reality...

Actually, yes, many scientists believe that a sentient species requires to be bipedal, and have binocular vision in order to adapt best to its enviroment. It's all about tools and depth perception. The only thing that could vary would be the organic compound the species are made out of. The majority of life on Earth is carbon-based, but there are a few silicoid-based creatures. Carbon and silicon bond best (through the means of water) to amino acids to create complex organic compounds. Most species would be carbon based since carbon is easier to create in a fusion reaction than silicone is. Truly alien looking sentient species could exist, such as sentient plant-life, but they wouldn't possess the motor skills to be able to manipulate tools, nor would they have the depth perception to utilize those tools properly.

WHAT? Name ONE silicon based life form on EARTH.

How the heck do you know that an imaginary "alien-looking species" "wouldn't posess the motor skills to be able to manipulate tools"? Show me an example of where this is true.

Depth perception? What if it had 6 eyes? Or 6 eyes the size of basketballs and could see in the dark like cats? They would have an EXTREME advantage ove ANYTHING on Earth.

Wow. People seem to know an awful lot about something which is theoretical even among scientists.

skyjack

I believe it is called sci-fi movies and books.... people have become experts on the imaginary....

We are instore for many surprises in the future....

Sorry for my bad english.


Most *real* scientists think that, in fact :

1° We don't KNOW the limits of life. In the past of our planet, we know really strange life exist.

2° We have good hands because we are tree animals with fruit alimentation (fruits are the ONLY food which suffices for our life: We will be able to eat only fruits and to be in better health. No other food can do that for us). All the other animals with a similar food have very nimble "hands".

3° We have binocular vision because fruits are littles preys, more ellusives than others vegetals.

4° We see colours because of fruits. It's NECESSARY to see colours if you want eat fruits on a regular basis.

5° Our digestive system is adapted to nourish fruits: We believe being omnivores only because fruits require a digestive system between that of the carnivore and that of herbivorous.

6° Opposite with an old belief, the majority of the animals know the totality of our feelings. They can often recognize them at other species that theirs.

7° Opposite with an old belief, animals know abstract.

8° Opposite with an old belief, animals make long term plans.

9° Opposite with an old belief, animals use tools. OUR tools is they find it. Stop to see TV-documentaries, sillies !

10° Opposite with an old belief, we don't are the most curious animals (that's canids. Fox, in fact).

11° Opposite with an old belief, we don't are the younger specie on earth. That's hyenas.

11° Opposite with an old belief, animal know what sex-games are.

12° Opposite with an old belief, a species is not only a genetic thing.

13° Opposite with an old belief, we don't have the better vision (carnivores see better motions. A LOT).

14° Opposite with an old belief, animals know what war is. And they can be good, with tactics and even strategics.



Don(t be silly, aliens can have really odds apparences. Good SF have a lot of non-humanoids aliens. One on my personal favourit are Fairies. Fairies are... blobs. Imagine a blob-civ is really funny, but, you know, don't use technobabble.

I liked the boog-old Ascendancy. Even with the crapy-AI. Aliens are rally refheshing in his game. Goods. I don't like the "ape-drengin-klingon" stuff.


And even "bipedals" aliens d'ont have to be "humanoids". Lot of animals are part-bipedal. And a lot more can be in bipedal station for a time. And a lot know to use their front paws in surpizing ways.

Ummm why would you expect realism in biology when you don't expect it in your physics?

Vampiloup

I love Ascendancy.. the music, the aliens, the ships, an the star lanes.... God I wish they had put out #2 like they promised for years...


ugh


if I could find a way to unlock those stupid proprietary DOS files.. I would use alot of stuff from that game.. maybe even do an Ascendancy total conversion.... just the planetary structures are worth it.

Should there be intelligent life out there [and pretty high possibility], there'll probably be things that are humanoid, semi-humanoid, and not humanoid at all, rather than "all aliens are humanoid" or "all aliens are FREAKISHLY DIFFERENT".

Should there be intelligent life out there [and pretty high possibility], there'll probably be things that are humanoid, semi-humanoid, and not humanoid at all, rather than "all aliens are humanoid" or "all aliens are FREAKISHLY DIFFERENT".

I completely agree... the gravity, temperature, ground elevation and plant vegetation will have a great effect on the overall appearance of intelligent life. Unfortunately within games and hollywood we see 99.5% humanoid aliens.

Ummm why would you expect realism in biology when you don't expect it in your physics?

We expect creativity in our biology like we expect creativity in our physics. Within the bounds of what is known, exploring the limits of what is not.

#6 - No, actually. I liked my character from fable, he was sure evil enough. 2 foot long horns, Red aura, Insects flying around, Murdered 156 civilians... My was that a fun day. Sadly, It's on my Xbox and i dunno how to get SS's there without modding it.

Only 156 - I killed that many traders!!!!! PML - I probably killed about 400 civilians - I turned my attention to poor old Oakvale - I slaughtered one house at a time.... Ended up owning the whole village MWHAA HAA HAA!

The reason 2 eyes, 1 nose, 1 mouth, 2 upper limbs and 2 lower limbs are so prevalent in Sci Fi etc, is based on the simple fact that Mother Nature, in so far as we know in our current technical, scientific knowledge, likes to be conservative it its approach to designing creatures.

That is why everything that is classed as an animal of some sort is more or less symetrical. Plants aren't, because it's okay, but even then, they follow certain patterns. The only exception to the rule of limbs, eyes etc are bugs, arachnoids etc.

I just hope that there aren't any pictures of characters like Ltn. Wharf, because as much as I love the Klingon ideals of fighting etc, I think they are proper ugly b*ggers. Cornish pasty foreheads do not look cool.

The person who did the Farscape picture mod should have gotten some more pics, Chrease, Dargo and the gibbering gimp with the half face etc.

I would like to see a picture of the trebles, or however you spell their name.... Now that would be funny.... You come across this planet inhabited by little fluffy balls... Who then point a great big Doom Ray at you! ha ha ha

With regards to this though...

Maybe you could find a picture of an octupus, a squid or a cuttlefish... The Octopus has been observed to manipulate tools etc to open things.

You could then make a gun tech that fires a corrosive ink at your enemies.

lightworker

I found a whole hell of alot of pictures.. very hi-res ones...

but with only 5 ship styles.. they aren't even worth sharing.. when more ship styles become avliable... maybe...

I probably have 200-300 various hi-res pictures.. all cgi and the like of various races for my personnal use...

and no, I do not use klingon's etc.. they look too "people-ish" for my taste

I got some Ascendany pictures, if anyone is interested

I agree.. it's incredably frustrating to watch the newer Star Trek series and see a new major race with rediculously minor differenced from human appearence... the Bajorans with their pitiful extra nose wrinkle springs to mind. They evolve on an alien planet billions of lightyears away and they're EXACTLY the same as us except for a scrunchy nose.

Although, in fairness, if an animal is going to have two eyes, a nose and a mouth you can't really rearrange them to be different that a human's arrangement and have the creature function properly. Our eyes are above our nose and mouth so we can eat and smell things while still watching our surroundings. Although I completely agree that the whole two arms, two legs, bipedal.. nevermind, basically exactly humanoid except for maybe some skin tone and forehead ridges gets old after a while. I'm not closed to the possibility of a similar (SIMILAR) planet producing similar-appearing life, but you need to shake it up a bit.

And yes, the Drengin are about as evil looking as Bigfoot with a hangover.. kind of like the pathetic Brutes in Halo 2. Wow, a sasquatch with tusks... how DO they come up with those things?

I agree.. it's incredably frustrating to watch the newer Star Trek series and see a new major race with rediculously minor differenced from human appearence...

Star trek came up with a reason though why humanoid races are so common though....

Star trek came up with a reason though why humanoid races are so common though....

yeah, it was a Precursor civilization that spread DNA all over the galaxy, so it all ended up developing into setient beings with variously crinkled prosthetic foreheads.

but where are we going to find ourselves a Precursor civilization to use as an explaination? at this hour?!?

To Stardock's credit, the Iconian's catfishy looking faces and those praying mantis people.. forget their names... are unhumanoid to an impressive degree, and that's about as unhumanoid as I'd even really want it. It's not as fun taking a civilization to the cleaners in a ceasefire treaty when you're talking to an amorphous blob or crystaline growth.

but where are we going to find ourselves a Precursor civilization to use as an explaination? at this hour?!?

I'm not sure I'd want one, really. As unimaginative and cliched as it may seem to just have the standard two eyes, two arms, two legs etc. orientation, I kind of think the "Precurser" excuse (I've actually heard of it, I just didn't remember it at that time) seems kind of flimsy, and the thought of all these races having their own history and culture seams more interesting than having some unknown ancient civilization sprinkling them around the galaxy like they were planting geraniums. Apart from the Drengin and my disproportionate bias against Bigfoot-knockoffs, I'm happy with the races in GS2. They're actually kind of pushing it with the unconventiality.

I like the GC2 races too and wont change them. I needed a TON of imagination for all the un-humanoid ascendancy races. It just dont cut in. Btw, the pre-poster said it, would you REALY like to talk to an amorphous blob anytime you chat with the other civs? I know I wouldnt.

dm4

I am very interested...

how did you open up the propreitary Logic Factory files??

I tried tog et the music out, the pictures for the planetary structures... those are so good..

and the ships.. love the ships.. the weapons.. etc...

but yes, I would like the RaceImage

thank you

We expect creativity in our biology like we expect creativity in our physics. Within the bounds of what is known, exploring the limits of what is not.

Yah and if you actually read what I posted in context you would realise I was responding to all the people who say that species should all be bi-pedal and similar to humans.