How do you like your aliens, Humanoid or Non-humanoid?

[Carl Gleba]

Hey all,

Just wondering how many of you play non-humanoid races? Say like the Monro, or the Zebuloid, or other races that are not humanoid at all. Or are they just flavor text in your games?

I'm just trying to get a feel for what the majority of folks are interested in. I know some guys scoff at the notion that most of the aliens are just humanoids with different types of heads.

thanks,

Carl

[Nekira Sudacne]

Humanoid aliens? heck, I barely play anything but a human!

just my taste. I don't really enjoy playing off the wall aliens.

[Jesterzzn]

I like to play as the odd ball stuff, but my group is almost entirely human/humaniod. If you are going to make an alien race that is not humaniod, I think the most important feature is an ability to communicate effectively. Having to roleplay the body language of a crystal alien with no vocal ability, only sounds fun. When you try it, it stops being fun fast.

[KLM]

Just wondering how many of you play non-humanoid races?

Since I am GM-ing most of the time, it applies to the NPCs,
but IMO it is the same stuff:

Outlook does not really matters, once I decide for a
nonhuman character.

For a Lurgess or especially an In'Valian robojock having
two arms and two legs does not matter at all.

It is more like the mentality of the species/culture
which grabs my attention.

I like Zembakh, but I would like them as being a small
toadlike humanoids too. The "many eyestalk" aliens from
South America (or SA2, Metaversal legion part) rocked

Adios
KLM

[DhAkael]

Typicaly I do a mix of alien types. Humanoid style are the most prevalent, but sometimes a GM or player really likes to have a whacked-out alien to play with.
Arthropods (insect / crab) are always a fave, with the occasional truly funky hyper intelliget shade of blue to make things interesting
Another place for alien concepts is Dr. Who...some days it's a guy in a rubber suit, another a psychtotic pepper-pot with a toliet plunger for a hand and an X-Ray laser for the other arm. On the third day you get daemonic cobra-worms or Blood-drinking rocks.
SW also has some decent races as well; humanoid, but definately NOT "Guy with elf ears stuck to his head with blue face paint".
Last source of truly alien RACES & CULTURES; David brin's 'Uplift' series. Non-Humanoid (for the most part) and definately unique psychologies.

That's my two creds worth; spend 'em wisely

[glitterboy2098]

to be honest, i like palladiums variety. you have everything. and anything too outlandish to evolve naturally you can blame on magic, or genetic engineering.


as it is though, i've noticed a tendancy towards three types.

the 'humans with animal heads' as showcased in Aliens unlimited and Galaxy guide, where every race was humanoid or had mostly humanoid features.

the 'humans with make up' like on star trek, where it might as well be a human in a monster suit or a human with some glue on horns or nose ridges or something in that nature.

and the 'inhuman tenticle monster or blob', like the zebuloids, or those protoplasmic blobs in the rifter.


personally, i liked the pythonians, the blood lizards, the alien races that were not humanoid, and definately looked as if nothing even remotely humanod ever came close to their genepool. palladium fantasy had quite a few of them, IIRC, and in ATB you could choose to make such a thing.

palladium needs more of those.
(just remember that you need something to equate to the opposable thumb. even if its psionics.)

[Josh Sinsapaugh]

I like my aliens to be...alien.

Which means no bear aliens, etc.

As for specifically non-humanoid aliens like the Zebuloids or Monro?

I like them.

Never had a chance to play them myself, though.

~ Josh

[Shorty Lickens]

Something my characters can have mad monkey sex with and not impregnate.

I was so happy when they made Star Elves for Phase World.

[Tinker Dragoon]

Something my characters can have mad monkey sex with and not impregnate.

I was so happy when they made Star Elves for Phase World.

Strange, I always preferred things they could impregnate through completely nonsexual contact...

At any rate, I frankly have little love for humanoid races, if for no other reason than that they are a science fiction cliche. I prefer aliens that are truly alien, and not just humans with funky makeup.

[Blue Eyes]

howdy

i like aliens to be well... aliens. the whole startrek idea that all aliens are humans i various colors has always seemed a little silly to me. races like the monro, the stilt people from the atlantis book, zebuloids and many others are cool and some of my players have played them with success.

of course it is easier to play a humanoid biped, 2 arms, 2 legs and a head because thats how we look i think there should be more races of alien origin who actually look alien and have strange customs and beliefs - we need unique cultures.

even though rifts (phaseworls in particular) has plenty of aliens that have cool powers, natural abilities and access to super technology, the focus up until now seems to be on MDC, supernatural strength, weird teleportation powers and combat abilities. this would be all good if it was accompanied by a detailed description of the various races cultures. the races of phaseworld like the prometheans, draconids, seljuk and other munchkin wetdreams are all about power and while it can be funny to powerplay we seriously need background info on these races - we simply know too little about them.

so i guess my answer is i like aliens to be unique creatures/beings who do not necessarily look humanoid and i think i would prefer them to look weird also . anyone who has ever read the Manhunter book knows how i would prefer new races to be described. a lot of information on their history, customs, tech level, magic level, homeworld etc. also i think it is important that new races arent just all about MDC, supernatural strength and natural abilities, actually i would prefer sdc races with good descriptions, thats my take on it - hope it helps

also compliment on the dimension book u wrote - good job

c ya

[Nekira Sudacne]

I guess i'm the only one that really likes a lot of hte human-like aliens

[glitterboy2098]

i doubt your the only one, but you don't see many people around here getting all excited over anything they like.

responses around here seem to be limited to complaints or constructive critism.

of course, you've been here longer, so i'd assume you already knew that.

[KLM]

(...)
even though rifts (phaseworls in particular) has plenty of aliens that have cool powers, natural abilities and access to super technology, the focus up until now seems to be on MDC, supernatural strength, weird teleportation powers and combat abilities. this would be all good if it was accompanied by a detailed description of the various races cultures. the races of phaseworld like the prometheans, draconids, seljuk and other munchkin wetdreams are all about power and while it can be funny to powerplay we seriously need background info on these races - we simply know too little about them.

so i guess my answer is i like aliens to be unique creatures/beings who do not necessarily look humanoid and i think i would prefer them to look weird also . anyone who has ever read the Manhunter book knows how i would prefer new races to be described. a lot of information on their history, customs, tech level, magic level, homeworld etc. also i think it is important that new races arent just all about MDC, supernatural strength and natural abilities, actually i would prefer sdc races with good descriptions, thats my take on it - hope it helps

also compliment on the dimension book u wrote - good job

c ya

While I do not stand against humanoid aliens (after all, it seems to be
pretty functional, and evolution does prefers funtional "designs". Plus
there can be a life-spreading "ancient" race, like in Star Trek: TNG,
which explains why most lifeforms are carbon (and DNA! ) based,
especially in the Three Galaxies, with its Cosmic Forge)...

So, I fully agree, that a detailed background means more, than stats.
(Of course the two must correspond - but stats without background
are just numbers, whereas every GM can come up with stats for
a good fluff text.).

Adios
KLM

[Blue Eyes]

hiya

KLM wrote:
"While I do not stand against humanoid aliens (after all, it seems to be
pretty functional, and evolution does prefers funtional "designs". Plus
there can be a life-spreading "ancient" race, like in Star Trek: TNG,
which explains why most lifeforms are carbon (and DNA! ) based,
especially in the Three Galaxies, with its Cosmic Forge)..."

i am not against humanoid aliens either, not at all, i just think that what we get is something we have seen a 1000 times before but in different colors. also for some reason all these humanoid races whether reptilian or animal-like all seem to be alot like humans - in fact too much like humans imo.

while it is true that most lifeforms that we know in the phaseworld and rifts settings are carbon based, i believe it is because thats what the writers focus on. "the surface" of the anvil galaxy is dotted with many carbon based lifeforms and up until now they seem to be getting all the attention. the treshhold and the core is most likely filled with all kinds of weird silicon based beings, energy beings, beings made out of menerals/stone, some may have developed in space while others have developed in alien environments. so alien environments should produce other functional designs than humanoids, at least thats how i see things

"the first" qualify to be recognized as a life-spreading ancient race, but the chronicles of the cosmos explain again and again how much they loved variety, i cannot see why they would have liked carbon based life.forms better than others - just a thought

c ya