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[Mephansteras]

Would not want to fight him!

No kidding! One thing I really wanted to bring back is the idea of the Mrrshan as a fearsome warrior race, something that seemed to be forgotten along the way. The Kzinti, another sci-fi feline race, were once described as "eight feet of death" and that's kind of the feel I want to create for the Mrrshan.

Yeah, I always found the 'sexy cat ladies' depiction of them to be a bit odd. They should be terrifying!

I'm digging the aztec inspiration for their stuff, too. Though that'd go better with a leopard or panther rather than a tiger. Still looks cool, though.

[RayFowler]

Yeah, I always found the 'sexy cat ladies' depiction of them to be a bit odd. They should be terrifying!

I'm digging the aztec inspiration for their stuff, too. Though that'd go better with a leopard or panther rather than a tiger. Still looks cool, though.

Actually, jaguar. However, like the Bulrathi, the Mrrshan will come in a variety of fur patterns. You'll definitely see spots.

The Mrrshan diplomat will be a female. That's too iconic to change. I guess how sexy you think she is depends mostly your imagination and/or your tolerance for pain?

[Mephansteras]

Jaguar, yes. Getting my cats mixed up again, I suppose. Anyway, cool artwork!

[E. Albright]

In fairness, what we normally refer to as a panther can be either a leopard or jaguar - the distinguishing point is the melanism moreso than which of those two species it belongs to.

[Shadowlord]

I've always been a fan of the lion-esque look of the Kilrathi from Wing Commander:

Spoiler: Kilrathi (click to show/hide)

[RayFowler]

Human body + animal head is like a plague among sci-fi artwork

[Hanzoku]

Probably because it's far easier to relate to a fellow biped then it is to some three legged, three-armed monstrosity that looks like a cross between a cockroach, squid and a spider and all you want to do is BURN THAT DIRTY XENOS SCUM.

[( Tchey )]

Human body + animal head is like a plague among sci-fi artwork

Yep

[Shadowlord]

Even when they're not animal heads, "aliens" in sci-fi almost always seem to have faces with two eyes, usually a nose below them, and a mouth or beak or the like below that.

I'm also not sure if there might be a good reason for it. Like, do you need a face to feel something, to see them as a person? Or no? I'm leaning towards "no" and would point to the Hanar of Mass Effect as an easy and well-known example to consider.

[RayFowler]

Even when they're not animal heads, "aliens" in sci-fi almost always seem to have faces with two eyes, usually a nose below them, and a mouth or beak or the like below that.

I've had discussions about this very subject and was convinced by the following point. It makes sense, from a survival point of view, to put all of your valuable sensory organs in the same area where they can be more easily protected. This means that you have fewer critical parts of your body that you could die if they were injured.

It also helps to remember that almost every single animal on this planet is little more than a glorified worm. Food goes in the mouth, gets digested, and comes out the back. All of the other things we have.. limbs, eyes, brain, bones, etc are just modifications to the worm to make it better at getting food and making more worms.

I'm also not sure if there might be a good reason for it. Like, do you need a face to feel something, to see them as a person? Or no? I'm leaning towards "no" and would point to the Hanar of Mass Effect as an easy and well-known example to consider.

As a life-form, yes. As an intelligent, technological race? Seems impossible as an aquatic race. How do you even get to the bronze age if you can't smelt?

[RayFowler]

Probably because it's far easier to relate to a fellow biped then it is to some three legged, three-armed monstrosity that looks like a cross between a cockroach, squid and a spider and all you want to do is BURN THAT DIRTY XENOS SCUM.

Animal-like races are frankly the best option because:

1) Scientifically, they are proven, adaptable forms. They have evolved and thrived on a biological planet against millions of competing species. Of course it is plausible that similar species would evolve on other terran planets.

2) Personally, they give players a real-life analogue to relate with. Of course cat aliens and bird aliens would hate each other! Of course! I don't need to real some sci-fi novel about the disastrous Mrsshan-Alkari first contact to know it wasn't going to turn out well. Ant aliens are a hive mind? Makes perfect sense. Spider aliens are evil? Duh.

[( Tchey )]

Cats eat Birds, alright.
Ant are hive mind, alright.
Spider are evil ? Certainly not. Predators, patients, agiles, builders, more so.
If species are based on our planet, then the evil one should obviously be the human, just like in real life.

Heptapodes, from Arrival movies/book, are more like what i think other life could be, if there were to be "solid" (why not imagine a gazeous like form). No mammalish shape with eye+mouth+nose stuff. Could be totally human-like too, but it's less exotic.

That said, i still find the arts awesome in this game remake.

[RayFowler]

Greek translation now in progress: https://remnantsoftheprecursors.com/2017/05/01/do-you-speak-greek/

[RayFowler]

Cats eat Birds, alright.
Ant are hive mind, alright.
Spider are evil ? Certainly not. Predators, patients, agiles, builders, more so.
If species are based on our planet, then the evil one should obviously be the human, just like in real life.

Evil is a subjective term. My point is that various animal types are often identified with personality characteristics even though the characteristics aren't really appropriate.

When spiders are anthropomorphized in fiction, they are usually, but not always, represented as some sort of malevolent creature. So if you make a spider alien race and it's evil, players will identify with that very easily. That ready-made familiarity is one of the big advantages of using animal-based aliens.

[Robsoie]

The difference for the anthropomorphised spiders is that the original comes from a different reign, the insect one, while humans are from the same as animal, so i imagine we feel more "sympathy" to anthropomorphised animals, while the Klackons must still be BURNED WITH FIRE !

Probably the same with lovecraftian shapes, i imagine creatures that visually are "horrors from beyond with multi-dimensional geometries that makes people mad just by thinking at the idea of their shadow" isn't particularly evoking human sympathy.

Star Control while it had several human-like shaped creatures still had a lot of non-anthropomorphised races and to express emotions and good/evil/neutral natured intent had them visually using tricks, by example the colors changing when it wasn't just the shape.
http://wiki.uqm.stack.nl/List_of_races