715 replies to this topic

[Red Panda]

When we first played Mass Effect, back in the day, we were probably impressed with all the aliens. But were they really alien as alien should be? Does that thematically fit with the core theme of exploring strange new cultures?

 

Let's consider.

 

KROGAN: Yes, seem mostly alien, pretty different. Fleshed out nicely in ME3 genophage cure arc. Kind of fleshed out in ME2 Tuchanka hub.

 

TURIAN: Yes. They have distinct physical appearance as well. Different means of conducting selves. Fleshed out kind of with Palaven and Tuchanka missions in ME3. Also Turian Sentinel.

 

VORCHA: Yes, inhuman mook things to shoot. Nuff said. No need to try and understand these. Could be fleshed out more instead of just mostly a codex entry.

 

VARREN: Yes. Slimy lizard dogs with great intelligence.

 

HANAR: Yes, space jellyfish cultist things

 

VOLUS: Yes, amonia based lifeforms with a simialarity to all of us: they like money too, just like us.

 

ELCOR: Yes, Slow talking elephant-dog hybrid things.

 

BATARIANS: Yes, Arrival, Colonist and Ruthless backgrounds, BringDownTheSky, that mission with the javelin missiles, several Shepard-batarian interactions that can result in usage of high velocity projectiles.

 

SALARIANS: Yes, lizard people. For real.

 

GETH: Yes, robot things that keep getting brainwashed to do the Reaper's dark bidding. Oh yes.

 

Let's get to the offenders, shall we?

 

DRELL(Thanks to QMR):  "the female fapbait equivalent" with exposed pecs, super masculinity, and frog eyes that stare into your soul.  Not actually a super serial offender at all, really!

 

QUARIANS: Mostly alien, a bit sexualized with seductive positional posing. Nothing too much there raising a red flag, but female quarians then take the cake with massively oversized hips. Intended to garner interest from ME1 fan reaction to Tali possibly.  Led to the Tali Sweat thread. Of only questionable moderate offense.

The hips are to allow for the large crainial capacity that enable us intelligence and thus the technological sophistication to be the Master Race (translates to Quarians)
 

 

 

ASARI: Blue skinned alien space babes that happen to exemplify every attractive female trait in humans. Because they're totally not meant as sex symbols. The previous statment is a bunch of hooey and a half gnawed on by a grundsau. The visual design of Asari suggests that the entire intent of them orignally was to play entirely into this trope because you love the asari, don't you? Yes, everyone loves the Asari. But does that allow the attempts to flesh them out to actually bear fruit? The issue here is that unless something changes, Asari will be thought of first as blue alien space babes and not as aliens.

 

Which is why I propose the following:

 

I'm glad I could "acquire" the following image.

 

 

And to answer the question?

 

Greatness happened.

 

 

 

 

This is exactly what should happen to the Asari. They'll look even more alien and exotic to their fanbase, and they'll seem more plausible to all of us.

Edited by Red Panda, 21 June 2016 - 04:36 AM.

[agonis]

Try harder.

[rashie]

Only if they are given long pointy ears.

 

For a more serious viewpoint, if they want aliens to feel "alien" they need to start moving away from designing them as humanoids.

[Red Panda]

Only if they are given long pointy ears.

 

For a more serious viewpoint, if they want aliens to feel "alien" they need to start moving away from designing them as humanoids.

Yeah, but I don't want to suggest frustration for teh developers used to humanoid designs for peace of mind.

 

I just didn't feel like it was fair. You have a point. A very good point. You're not wrong in my books, if you're wondering.

[o Ventus]

If I recall correctly from the art books, the asari are supposed to look like the stereotypical hawt alien chicks in Star Trek, where "alien" really just means green skin or blue skin or whatever color skin with otherwise human features.

 

The entire idea is that they are basically human women, slightly altered so as to justify being called "aliens".

[Quarian Master Race]

Agreed on the lolassari, but c'mon you didn't even mention the drell being the female fapbait equivalent.

However, your jealousy toward quarians is apparent. The hips are to allow for the large crainial capacity that enable us intelligence and thus the technological sophistication to be the Master Race. Don't be mad that we flaunt our superiority.

Further, batarians are just comically awful humans with two extra eyes, and all of them are dudes too. They're basically opposite day asari, complete with the penchant for slavery in both.

[Feybrad]

I like the DA2 Elves, however, the elven Race in DA could be saved (DA:I improved on that matter further).

 

The Asari cannot.

 

They have been completely and solely designed around the fact that they're the hot alien Chicks and completely outfitted with Bullshit Lore to make them especially willing to **** other Species. No Redesign could change the complete Mess they are.

 

The Asari have to be left behind in the Milky Way and fed to the Reapers or something. Just get rid of the stereotypical hot alien Chicks and everything is fine.

[Red Panda]

Agreed on the lolassari, but c'mon you didn't even mention the drell being the female fapbait equivalent.

However, your jealousy toward quarians is apparent. The hips are to allow for the large crainial capacity that enable us intelligence and thus the technological sophistication to be the Master Race. Don't be mad that we flaunt our superiority.

Further, batarians are just comically awful humans with two extra eyes, and all of them are dudes too. They're basically opposite day asari, complete with the penchant for slavery in both.

Added Drell as per your request. Adding additional material to Quarian section.

 

Batarians did get a lot of fleshing out, as star trek as their design may be. And they aren't super duper sexualized.

[von uber]

ASARI: Blue skinned alien space babes that happen to exemplify every attractive female trait in humans. Because they're totally not meant as sex symbols.

 

Spoiler

 

Or people see what they want to see. The Asari are fine, and potentially one of the most interesting races in the galaxy.

[Steelcan]

*snip*

Or people see what they want to see. The Asari are fine, and potentially one of the most interesting races in the galaxy.

Not really, we've gotten their dark secrets out in the open, unless they have even more skeletons in their closet....

 

but there are better ways to make them more interesting than hitting them with the ugly stick like DA2 elves

[Asari Goddess]

OH god no leave our asaris alone they are as beautiful as there is. we don't need them to look like those things from DA  

[Hanako Ikezawa]

Not really, we've gotten their dark secrets out in the open, unless they have even more skeletons in their closet....

Well, the Ark Theorists thing that the Asari apparently were keeping an intergalactc-capable liveship hidden from the galaxy.

 

That or the humans were keeping it secret. Or it was somehow built in less than six months despite the galaxy having no clue on how to do it.

[Quarian Master Race]

Added Drell as per your request. Adding additional material to Quarian section.

 

Batarians did get a lot of fleshing out, as star trek as their design may be. And they aren't super duper sexualized.

I dunno, dem soulful eyes, luscious lips and jiggly bumbums that could give my own species a run for its non-monetary economy based bartered goods.

[Boost32]

I like my Asari the way they are, no need to change.

[DebatableBubble]

Agreed. Except for Batarians. I like the Batarians. They just weren't developed enough.

 

Same with the Drell, actually. And the Elcor. And the Hanar. And everyone except for the Council races, the Quarians, the Geth, and the Krogan.

 

 

Sigh. Missed opportunities everywhere. 

[PresidentVorchaMasterBaits]

 

VORCHA: Yes, inhuman mook things to shoot. Nuff said. No need to try and understand these. Could be fleshed out more instead of just mostly a codex entry.

 

GRAAAAAAAGH! WHAT!?!? WHY YOU NO TRY TO UNDERSTAND?!?! VORCHA NOT GOOD ENOUGH!??! GO AWAY! WE DON'T WANT YOU AROUND ANYWAY! WE BURN YOUR TAIL OFF! THEN WE BURN REST OF YOUR FUR OFF! NO MORE RED PANDA! JUST NAKED PANDA!! GRRRAAAGH!! NAKED AND AFRAID!! WE MOCK YOU! NOW LEAVE!!!!!

 

 

AND STOP SHOOTING AT US! GRAAGH!!!

[LinksOcarina]

I like the DA2 Elves, however, the elven Race in DA could be saved (DA:I improved on that matter further).

 

The Asari cannot.

 

They have been completely and solely designed around the fact that they're the hot alien Chicks and completely outfitted with Bullshit Lore to make them especially willing to **** other Species. No Redesign could change the complete Mess they are.

 

The Asari have to be left behind in the Milky Way and fed to the Reapers or something. Just get rid of the stereotypical hot alien Chicks and everything is fine.

 

I should point out that sexualized aliens is a part of space opera ad sci-fi, its often used as a stylistic choice to exemplify sexuality in the setting. The Asari and their backstory fit that bill well, they define sexuality in Mass Effect as much as maybe the Drell do.

 

That is not necessarily a bad thing if done properly. 

[Steelcan]

GRAAAAAAAGH! WHAT!?!? WHY YOU NO TRY TO UNDERSTAND?!?! VORCHA NOT GOOD ENOUGH!??! GO AWAY! WE DON'T WANT YOU AROUND ANYWAY! WE BURN YOUR TAIL OFF! THEN WE BURN REST OF YOUR FUR OFF! NO MORE RED PANDA! JUST NAKED PANDA!! GRRRAAAGH!! NAKED AND AFRAID!! WE MOCK YOU! NOW LEAVE!!!!!

 

 

AND STOP SHOOTING AT US! GRAAGH!!!

 

wat

[MrFob]

Only if they are given long pointy ears.

 

For a more serious viewpoint, if they want aliens to feel "alien" they need to start moving away from designing them as humanoids.

 

In one of the artbooks, it is stated the the devs did want less humanoid aliens. Alas, they couldn't do it because the cover system that they worked with would have made implementation of non-human enemies very difficult. Why do you think we never fight Hanar or Elcor?

 

I am curious if Frostbite will give them more freedom than Unreal in that regard. But even then, I doubt we'll see a lot of diversity for the sake of cutting down on the costs for making all those animations.

 

Apart from that, Aliens in ME are designed in part, so that we can relate to them as characters (just look at how much effort they put into simulating the illusion of emotional responses just using Legion's flashlight aperture iris). A bipedal species with a face can allows for much easier empathy than, say, an intelligent gas cloud (although I'd love to see one).

 

 

Oh, almost forgot. On Topic: No.

[Asari Goddess]

GRAAAAAAAGH! WHAT!?!? WHY YOU NO TRY TO UNDERSTAND?!?! VORCHA NOT GOOD ENOUGH!??! GO AWAY! WE DON'T WANT YOU AROUND ANYWAY! WE BURN YOUR TAIL OFF! THEN WE BURN REST OF YOUR FUR OFF! NO MORE RED PANDA! JUST NAKED PANDA!! GRRRAAAGH!! NAKED AND AFRAID!! WE MOCK YOU! NOW LEAVE!!!!!

 

 

AND STOP SHOOTING AT US! GRAAGH!!!

 

I'll like to shoot a vorcha anytime  

 

they are like adorable pets that love barking or making noise

[Feybrad]

I should point out that sexualized aliens is a part of space opera ad sci-fi, its often used as a stylistic choice to exemplify sexuality in the setting. The Asari and their backstory fit that bill well, they define sexuality in Mass Effect as much as maybe the Drell do.

 

That is not necessarily a bad thing if done properly. 

 

It is ALWAYS a bad Thing.

[rapscallioness]

Eh, I like sexy.

 

Besides:

 

 

"Yeah, c'mon, Blinky. Sludge your way off the ship. We're going into the field."

 

edit: careful what you ask for...

[Undead Han]

 

wat

 

He knows Gavorn's tricks.

[Valkyrja]

The DA2 elf redesign was a blunder.

 

Anyone who disagrees should be deported back to the Dragon Age forums.

[LinksOcarina]

It is ALWAYS a bad Thing.

 

How so?

 

We see sexuality used in a lot of games. Inquisition and the Witcher use it liberally to convey either relationships or just sex and gender roles. Sometimes it's good, sometimes its too much.

 

Hell, Mass Effect even made fun of it. The panning butt shots of Miranda for example, while she talked about her perfect she was; yet she was far from it and emotionally fairly fragile. The over-emphasis on her sexual appeal was purposeful to be over-compensating in how the scenes with her were framed; it was intentional not just as bait, but also for her character.

 

Now a character like Samara....that was too much since her sexuality had no bearing on her character or really served any purpose outside of tantalizing cleavage. But again, it's a useful tool to convey a lot of things, so how is it always bad?