Darn Rubber Forehead Aliens (Xenobiology Discussion)

as Floran I would say.. we don't have "breast".. everybody knows that..

we are capable of photosyntesis but it provide no near energy needed for run warm sap cycle. While it can sustain us "alive" for prolonged period of time as cold sapped it renders us slow, quick tired and vulnerable to illness and parasites.

With circulatory lymphatic system and absent cadriovascular system we don't have "hearth" or "lungs". Oxygen and nutricia are absorbed by the tendrils and delivered to the cells and organs by internal contraction of the most part of the circulatory system. This itself is the reason why you see Florans most of time in state of constant gentle waving. It seems that humans quite long believed such "dancing", as they called it, has something to do with communications. While it has it is not primary function of waving.

But it is the main reason why we need to have secondary digestive system able to consume meat and other plants. Gives us stable internal temperature and provides us ability to wave in any environmental condition to run primary circulation. As said "eating" is not mandatory. As long as there temperature above zero there is enough sun, CO2, water, rich soil or biomass and at least some wind or source of movement we can survive. Nice sunny planet with large lakes are ideal for Floran tribe and you could see a lot of us standing together and waving. Especially on colder months when there is less animals to hunt and the Tribe is preserving energy. Of course hunting and eating is still highly preferred.

Even as asexual race we prefer temporary pairing for reproduction. While we can grow up our own sprouts it is usually used only in harsch conditions. More often one Floran is growing sprouts of another on their own body for the first stadium. Giving strength and diversity of both providers. Typically carrying 2-5 sprouts of our own outside our body (lowerback area). You may notice carrying Florans pretty well as they tends to occupy a typical "4-legged" position close to water in which they preserve and provide additional nutrients for the sprouts, leaning backs towards sun and signal other Florans to protect them. They are also prepared for fast jump to attack or run away. The other provider doesn't take any role in protecting (not more then any other Floran in Tribe). Carrying Florans are known to be extremely agressive towards anything but their own Tribe. Attacks from inside of Tribe are none to rare. As any sprouts are considered as part of the Tribe already.

As sprouts become conscience during second stadium while they are still on carrying ones, it is theirs decision when to stop providing nutrients and sun to the sprouts and forces them to separate. The exact time depends on environmental conditions (sooner for favourable one) and number of sprouts (more sprouts sooner separation). Time of separation is considered as the beginning of young Floran's life.

It is possible for carrying Florans to choose not to let go their own sprouts and allow them to use carriers body for nutrient to give them better chances for surviving. While this is not typical way to go it is not rare either. Because from every death there should rise new life. It is typical for separated or deadly wounded Florans far from the Tribe or often used when food (eating) is not available. Happening this in normal Tribe is considered as non-ethical and such sprouts are usually not protected by the Tribe and are considered as another (new) Tribe spawn. Instead is expected dead Floran is absorbed (not eaten) by other carrying Florans for their sprouts and for Tribe's good.

 

Probably best not to question Novakid biology too much, simply because its a type of life we couldn't ever hope to understand and may or may not be possible.

Hylotles would probably have a biology akin to that of amphibians. They would have a three chambered heart, (two atria, one ventricle) leading to a mix of "oxygenated" and "deoxygenated" blood throughout their circulatory system. This would in turn prove a detriment to their metabolic processes as the blood in the systemic circulatory system would contain as much oxygen as that in the pulmonary system, the comparative lack of oxygen would somewhat limit oxidative phosphorylation in their mitochondria but other than that they would be fairly healthy.

As for their breathing, I'm going to assumed Hylotle's have lungs and take in oxygen in a manner similar to humans using pressure difference in the chest cavity compared to the outer atmosphere via muscles in their thoracic cavities. Exhaling would decrease pressure via a relaxation of these muscles and inhaling would increase pressure via contraction of these muscles. Everything flows down pressure gradients, meaning air in a high pressure system will move into a low pressure system if possible.

Hylotles would also probably be capable of taking in oyxgen through their skin, like most amphibians, however this means they probably need to maintain some degree of moisture or risk drying out and dying. (I doubt this will be a feature in game). As they are sentient chances are they are omnivorous to adequately fuel the demands of their brain by giving them a much greater range of available food, and in order to use tools their hands may be slightly less webbed than their feet in order to allow greater manipulation of each individual finger. As they probably wouldn't use their feet in this manner they may be completely webbed. This leads me to believe that Hylotles would naturally swim with their arms to their sides and moving both legs simultaneously similar to the motions of a dolphin. Ultimately decreasing friction and allowing them to move faster in the water when compared to other, land dwelling races. (Of course chances are all races have the same swimming motion)

Chances are hylotles are ectothermic, meaning they probably do not need to eat as much as endothermic species such as mammals and birds to maintain body heat. However it also means they'll be somewhat lazier during colder seasons and more inclined to spend time out in warm locations when possible. A typical Hylotle home would probably be very humid and warm, uncomfortable for animals covered in feathers/fur and unpleasant for animals with bare skin. Chances are gas based lifeforms and mechanical life would not experience any issues with this environment.

 

Nova kids are not made of pure energy. from the description the novakids seem to have a core which provides a shell to contain the gasses inside. they could absorb materials and burn them to heat themselves up or keep the core from shutting down as the pressure being built from inside them would make them a very viable pressure cooker.

 

Don't mean to get all up and interrupting your roleplay, but I have to bring up a couple things.

With the lack of "breasts", do you mean in the sense of making milk? Because the feminine looking Floran definitely have things that look like breasts. I dunno if they have a function, but perhaps for maybe sap, rather than the mammalian version that produces milk.

Also, I never got the impression Floran were asexual. They're unisex, but there are "male" and "female" in a sense as, there are masculine and feminine. I doubt they have a "normal" orientation (as in, a feminine Floran with another feminine Floran would not be out of the ordinary as there is no actual gender and any Floran can reproduce with any other Floran) but I don't think they have a complete lack of attraction between Florans.

 

I think they wanted to make armor that fits everyone without having to remake the armor for every race, so all the (playable) aliens have adopted a humanoid look. The breasts are just there as an extra "this is a girl" marker, considering its a pixel game it seems necessary. I remember this popping up in GW2 threads a while back since Anet actually made the Asura and Charr females have no breasts and made the females different in more subtle ways, ways that don't seem possible when limited to pixels.

 

no breasts, more "leaves", character creator made by human, not very tolerant to diversities against his own species. Offsprings are fed directly from carrying one during both stages then they need to find their own nutritia and food. No feeding after separation. No teats.

I haven't said there is not an attraction (I'm pretty sure I said otherwise actually.) Just that it is possible to use your own body itself if there is a need to procreate. Not usual way. As it is not usual (while technically possible) to accept more providers at once.

By "asexual" I mean without the need of more genders. Not hermaphrodites (having more then one at once). There are provider(s) and carrying one. It doesn't adress mating in any way. Maybe that's just wrong word. While there are some preffering carrying and some preferring to provide it has nothing to do with biological aspects more then some humans are scientists and some are warriors.

Provided info so far is nice that it is written as "observed". Tried to fit all of that into an idea. Cannot do much with my english which can render text really hard to read I assume :-( Would be nice to have this corrected for misspells and such.

 

This has probably been discussed before, but concerning the Glitch race and the fact that they eat: in my head it makes sense, and not because they have a built-in system that converts food into energy, but rather because they were programmed to eat what their creators considered food and put it in their mouths to stop their artificial hunger-meter. I think they are basically imitating the habit of eating while in fact it's an artificial behavior, since the creators wanted to simulate a society they needed to simulate basic needs in the robots to make the experiment work.

 

Can Florans get fat?
When humans get fat, it's because our adipose cells get bigger rather than getting more of them, but plants have cell walls that stop them from swelling.
If they can't get fat, what happens to the excess fat?

 

The Hylotls are obviously based on axolotls; a type of aquatic lizards related to salamanders. Axolotls technically never "grow up" to lose their gills, but if this is not the case for Hylotls it's no wonder why they prefer their aquatic suits.