RE: Re: FMA at EEC: was Re: [GZG] Re: GZG ECC X: Indy's AAR (parts 1 &2)

G'day,

> BDS was floated quite a bit further back but there hasn't been
> much actual interest in it. IIRC I'm the only one who has
> proposed SV stats for StarGrunt...

Beyond that there's a few "alien recipe" books proposed on various lists
(where you pick and choose from a list to get an alien mix you like). It
does come down more to demand. As a group we still do seem to prefer to
play Humans. Of all the aliens the Kra'Vak get the most attention. If
there really was a mega-demand for more aliens there would be more
suggested sets posted here or on the xenology list (which I haven't
heard from in years) and my guess is they'd be more alien figs in the
GZG catalogue ;)

This seems to be a wider issue too. If you look at every major science
fiction manufacturer on the web if they don't look like an "aliens"
alien or a "predator" then they quietly disappear/dwindle while the
human lines of the same system go on longer.

Admittedly there is some weight to the "if a book came out that'd
generate interest and thought as the strawman is there" argument.
However, as someone who enjoys tinkering with aliens (at least 11
different separate species so far down in semi to reasonable depth plus
a bunch more as caricatures only) I find that few people (beyond
nutcases like me) really want true aliens. As much as people say they
don't want people in rubber suits when you hand someone an alien the
majority of the time its "oh butt I can't...." or "I wouldn't act
like...". We (as a species) are very tightly linked to our perception of
the world and so don't feel comfortable often when asked to step wide of
it. Having watched players here and overseas, the Kra'Vak are popular
because they are typically played as aggressive humans. Ro'Kah for
instance is always seen as this "terror" trait and new Kra'Vak players
see it as a thrilling feature. It's a seasoned player that realises it's
a big Achilles heal when long range or sniper fire is in play. As soon
as that happens a bunch of people (though not all) drop them as "they're
flawed" when really they've just got a different set of strengths and
weaknesses to work around.

In a similar vein I'd say that's why we see less of the real range of
differentiation in human types that are likely into the future (where
people have various cybernetic or gene-based modifications or different
maturation environments under different gravities).

Sorry this turned into a bit of a rant, but I was simply trying to point
out that it's a rare bird that really does want to play an alien.

Beth

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