New Playable Species and Romance Compatability

I agree compelty its a nice novality item but thats it. Been there done that dont need all my characters to get married. And even the ones that have never hear from their wife other than a few gifts and mails. Romance is not a big deal in TOR and should never be used to stop someone playing the character they want to play.

The worst part is, the developers don't give two poodoos about them. It's the players who are keeping the misconception alive, unfortunately.

Exactly - it's an excuse. The main reason is the game's models (gear especially) aren't easily adapted to aliens and never will be.

They could take the shortcut with some and like Broomark have some pieces of gear not appear at all but still have their stats take affect. Then eventually once they're released they can maybe work on how some of the gear could properly display.

Perhaps true, but to bring this thread back to its intent, we can take that information and include it in a list of developer-confirmed prerequisites for new playable for species, for good or for ill.

1. Relatability is key and player demand will influence how far away from the norm this aspect can be stretched.
2. Given that voiced story is a key aspect of SW:TOR, the need to speak Basic is present.
3. Clipping issues aren't a disqualifier, but they are a definite consideration in selection.

And to the point of this thread:

4. Romantic interactions are not an issue.

Its point 1 which always gets me. I am really not sure if this was a statement they came up with after they decided to have human species because it would be easier than a few actual aliens. However I can releate to an alien just as easily as a human if I want to possible more in some cases. What makes me able to releate to a Sith PureBlood or a Chiss any easier than a Mon'cal or a Kel'dor?

I think there are thousands of people who can somehow relate to Chewbacca, even have at one point dressed as him.

Also what about all those previous Star Wars games which featured multiple species choices? Granted, species development wasn't as complex as it is with SWTOR but still there were many players who chose to play as those species. Apart from human, in Jedi Academy you could play as a Zabrak, Kel'dor, Twi'lek or Rodian. In Star Wars Galaxies, players could choose to play as a Wookiee, Zabrak, Rodian, Twi'lek, Sullustan, Ithorian, Mon Calamari, Trandoshan and Bothan. Not to mention all those tabletop and pen and paper games where players have a range of different species to select and do nearly whatever they can imagine with them.

Again I'm aware that developing a species is much harder in SWTOR than with previous games, but like how we've been discussing with romances, I'm pretty sure relatability isn't really a dire issue.

That is the truth, but not in some of the instances this would create. Honestly I don't think the romance option matters either, but it would make sense to turn it off in some cases due to lore issues.

For me
1) was a massive mistake by the dev team to think that it is more difficult to relate to a species that prices gladitorial combat such as the Rodian than a people who prize the value in a great hunt such as Bounty Hunters and Mandalorians than a people that believe in a Goddess who keeps score of points. I can equally relate to all of these points and any of the other difference between species in the game and the more alien ones out of it as well as the different views out of it.

2) The framework for speaking Basic is very subjective. The Chiss don't speak Basic when first encountered by Smugglers in the book Outbound flight but they can learn it. In TOR they all speak it, through out the game some species speak basic some their own language and some depends on the individual. So do Twi'lek speak Basic or Huttese, turns out players speak basic and NPCs can speak both but none speak their native language which employs the use of the Lekku cause the animation isn't in for that. The same can no doubt be said for a lot of species and as long as the acsent isn't a big thing. If you are going to have full VO there will be people who like the actors choice for their class, some who hate it and some who think it doesn't fit their character. And thats if you just have human as a species. So getting hung up on this is pointless and as long as the species speaks basic (or physically able) then Bioware shouldn't use this as a reason for no decent alien species.

3) For me Clipping and Mesh really brings into question the limits of the Hero Engine and Biowares use of it. SWG's managed to have a lot of different Alien species within the game and a lot more character cutomisation and work with far more customisation of gear. To a lesser extent you have games like STO which has an amazing character/alien species generator though will admit that while they may sell too many uniform varients their isn't a lot of variation in them. But it should not be so diifcult and with most aliens that people are reasonably hoping will be added, and if the worst comes to the worst enforce hide head slot until a work around can be found for those that have odd shapped heads. Hell SWG's enforced hide boots and gloves for Trandoshian and rather than detract from the experience it made a far more destinctive look.

4) Damn right its not an issue, missing a fade to black screen is really not something you are missing. And as for any kiss just fade to black a little sooner its not going to harm anything.

To my mind there are a number of reasons that more alien species should be added.

1) Players want it, not all of them admitadely but a lot do. Far more than say a pod racing speeder or another cartel pack with a 1% chance to get something nice and a 80% chance to get junk or an outfit that should have been included in the game. As such by adding them BW add something that players want and more importantly to them can charge money for in the cartel shop.

2) It adds to the feel of Star Wars. The films were full of Alien species often very alien looking and it added to the wonder back in 1977 of being in a galaxy far far away in an exotic and ALIEN world. This is something that needs to be added to TOR cause a lot of people say the reason they play is Its Star Wars. So add elements that when you walk into the cantina for the first and find its full of aliens you think of Mos Eisley not as is at the moment when you think of the town in footloose with giant shoulder pads and tight tight jeans.

3) It gives everyone more choice. Character customisation isn't a strong point of the game, 4 body types a few head and hair selections and 40 scar or burn choices. And my choice of species, human, human with metal stuck to his face, Blind Human, Green Human, Blue Human, Grey Human, Zabrek, Twilek and Sith. And maybe in the near future though seems to have been forgotten Face painted Human with a bad hair cut. The difference say a Cartel pack to go along with the Rise of the Hutt Cartel of 3 of the more underworld species such as off the top of my head Trandoshian, Rodian and Gran (by no means the definitive choices) would do to the options at Character creation. Not to mention PR as aliens come to a galaxy far far away.

As long as the bodies are going to remain humanoid (and odds are, they will), no situation is going to arise that is more extreme than what already exists in canon.