Lore and Motivation

From a roleplayer's point of view, it makes sense that Florans are supposedly the most popular of the proposed races, thanks to the lore that they're imbued with. I think that there can be something done for the lore of the other races that would probably help them in that regard as well. I suppose that if I were to provide criteria for critique, I'd say it's

1) Uniqueness - ie: what sets this race apart?
2) Individual motivation - ie: what does a member of this race do on a day-to-day basis?
3) Greater motivation - ie: what is the race's overall goals? If they achieve them, then what?
4) Implementation - ie: how do the afore-mentioned fit in with how I play the game?

For Florans, it's easy:

1) They're flora, they're unisex, they don't have a concept of fauna except as particularly agile food, and their concept of fear seems nonexistent which means they're preternaturally curious.
2) A Floran wants to hunt fauna and stab it. If successful, it wants to hunt bigger and better fauna and stab that too.
3) Florans want to learn about the universe, and appear to take to any new form of art and technology with childlike wonder and glee.
4) As a Floran you go out, kill fauna, explore new worlds, and make use of ever-more respectable pieces of hardware and swag. You are living the dream.

A+

For Glitch, there are goals but how to approach them is off:

1) They're robots coded by an unknown benefactor who kept them in a high-medieval society as an experiment, until some of them gained free will and were ousted as heretics. It's a simmering crockpot of sci fi and fantasy tropes.
2) A free-thinking Glitch just wants to survive in such a fashion that he can answer greater questions. While regular Glitch have a set schedule, free-thinking Glitch have no cues as to how they would spend their day.
3) Free-thinking Glitch likely want to figure out the origins of their benefactors as well as how they can peaceably give self-awareness to the rest of their kind.
4) You have motivation, but half of it is of a social sort and this is a sandbox game about exploration and building. You are effectively divorced from the Glitch world, but with weekend visitation rights.

B+

For Avians, there are a few hangups:

1) They're flightless birdmen who got technologically uplifted by an unknown benefactor, ended up with a cult of personality around the prime recipient of the uplift, and thus are embroiled with various political baggage related to the resultant theocracy. They also seem to have special appeal to furries.
2) An Avian wants to live in peace and explore the stars outside of the influence of the theocracy. Possibly learn to fly.
3) Avians in general probably want to depose the theocracy, but it's not explored what would happen if they ever did, or what problems that would solve, as the theocratic power is largely ineffectual. Atheist colonies and Grounded sky-ships tend to have a Pirates Who Don't Do Anything feel to them.
4) As an Avian you just live your life absent anybody trying to kill you, but beyond base survival your actions are largely self-motivated.

B

For Apex, it's a bit harder:

1) They're genetic-up/downlifts currently in an interstellar Soviet empire run by Dear Leader, who gets more characterization than the rest of the race combined. For what purpose they chose this grand bargain of genetic lottery is insufficiently explained.
2) An Apex is either a lowly cog in a totalitarian regime or a rebel sought out by said totalitarian regime.
3) Apex generally follow Big Ape, who is following through on dubiously ethical plans for further genetic uplift, or are looking to overthrow Big Ape. What happens in either case, however, is not fully explored.
4) As an Apex you don't exactly run with either the in- or the out-group - you're free to enter and leave their settlements as you please but can do nothing to further or undermine the system as a whole - so the lore is (sadly) rather tangential to your activities.

B-

For Humans, notable pieces are missing:

1) They're Humans, of the Aliens/Star Trek chock-a-block paint-by-numbers sci fi credentials. They're upstaged by their adversaries, which are giant eldritch space tentacles that have taken over their home world.
2) Most Human settlements are on lockdown and stand-by, which means they don't do much of anything.
3) Humanity presumably wants to take back their home world, but no plans are in effect to do so: No grand alliances appear to be being made, no armies raised, no colonies expanded. The entire race appears to be in stasis.
4) As a Human, you're on your own. This may appeal to self-motivators, but there's no getting there from here when it comes to their overarching goal, so each individual is largely at a loss.

C-

Hylotl and Novakid lore is incomplete, but the Hylotl at least have an adversarial relationship with the Florans that can be exploited fro motivation, but not much more can be said beyond that. I'm sure some of these can be tweaked such that each race can be as fully characterized as the Florans, which should promote excitement for playing the game overall, but the first step is identifying where they currently fall flat.

 

they do need add more lore to some other races

 

interesting views, but i think your criteria might be influenced by your own views of the races

I could use your criteria to say this of the floran for example:

1) Uniqueness - Plant people...a weird cross between elves and cavemen...only bushier
2) Individual motivation - To sibilantly sssstab things over and over.
3) Greater motivation - As above, but to do it better than the last guy...
4) Implementation -You run around and swing your sword at things, saying S words as annoyingly as possible.

C

and this of the Avian:

1) Uniqueness - Flightless bird rebels trying to uncover the truth of their oppressive leaders
2) Individual motivation - To spread the word of the Kluex deception and help grounded who have escaped Avos to reach a position where they can challenge the current status quo
3) Greater motivation - To reveal the truth of Kluex, overthrow the clipped council and free all avians from theocratical and political oppression
4) Implementation - You explore new worlds, develop your technology, recruit allies and spread the word, making use of the resources you gather and friends you find to eventually fight for your entire races freedom.

A+

Not to put down your views on the matter and for the record, im a massive floran fan!

I'm all for fleshing out and expanding on current lore though!!!

 

The real main reason everyone plays floran is because florans are homicidal maniacs and deep down everyone playing this game just wants to kill everything. Gamers are violent and murderous, I mean that's what they say on TV, and TV is never wrong is it??

 

I play an Avian. Their characterization isn't all that compelling, at least when it comes to individual motivation.

But I suspect you're playing devil's advocate, considering your avatar.

You kill everything anyway. Florans just have a lore reason to do so.

 

hm?
I thought it was a given that everyone plays floran because of the durasteel + FTL jump glitch that makes them OP...

 

I highly disagree with your critique of Avian, Apex, and Floran lore.
While I like all three, Florans are literally, literally homicidal cavemen-except-plants. There.. isn't much complexity. Other than "whoa let's make plants that eat things hah ironic twist! forget venus flytraps no such thing we did it first"

Meanwhile you have political and psychological depth, societal critiques, and deep questions being asked of you by Avians and Apex.
If you're of religious faith and said god figure revealed themselves and command you to do horrible things, would you? Or would you be cast out as a rebel? How far will you go in the name of faith?
How far is too far for a government? Are they keeping you safe or keeping you watched? Are they protectors or dictators?

 

Agreed. Floran are totes the most boring race imo.

 

I think I agree on Florans being one of the most popular, mainly with how different they are from the other races. Out of the races you have 4 animal races (2 primates, 1 salamander fish thing, and 1 bird), one mechanical race, one plant race, and one superheated gas race. I sort of the think the 3 non-animal races are like the better ones in that they are more unique that the others (especially the humans, though likely the salamander fish people more what with the lack of lore on them right now).

 

One of the best things this game could do to further the lore would be to have side quests that were race-specific. This could add some lore and some incentive to work with your race at the same time.

Also, I'd love to see some interaction between different races in a controlled setting. How about a Floran village and a Hylotl village on two sides of a battlefield?

 

I'm pretty sure the ACTUAL reason Florans are the most popular is because in the Avian lore document they escaped confinement by utilizing an FTL jump in atmosphere, razing, I believe 300km of forest (and innocent bystanders).

Florans are liked because they're basically Plant Krogans, and Krogans are awesome.

 

You have to remember. The document is non-canon.

 

My first character was a Floran, so I'm always going to have a special attachment to them

 

This.

As for OP, I disagree with some of your labellings, but agree with your general overall opinion that some races could use more motivation to play, but I think the quest line will help that out, and honestly all races except florans and hylotal have a grand objective to strive for. Humans, to defeat the tentacles. Apex, to discover the truth behind Big Ape. Avians, to discover the truth behind Kluex. Glitch, to discover their creator race. I suppose Hylotl, to bring universal peace and Floran, to bring universal destruction, but there is less motivation there to strive in game progression for hylotl and florans.

 

op what is my characters motivation how would he say "this pretzel is making me thirsty" how is his body language.

 

Freezing and or starving to death.

 

Nobody said the lore had to be complex. It just had to motivate you for the actions you are meant to do in this game.

This game is about slaughtering wildlife, mining and harvesting worlds, and creating and stealing better equipment for yourself. Floran lore works right into that. The Avian/Apex/Glitch/Human stuff about Kluex, Big Ape, the Creator, and tentacle monsters, for all their "complexity," do not present you with a reason to slaughter wildlife, raid dungeons, mine asteroids and build overly-complex bases in which to stash loot.

Their lore would work better in an RPG, in which your inevitable goal is to fight your archnemesis, rather than an open-ended sandbox.

Race-based quest lines can certainly help in that regard, but do not think they'll go so far as to answer the questions or solve the problems of Kluex/Big Ape/the Creator/tentacle monsters, because that would undo the world the devs have created. What the quest lines should instead be doing is establishing why you'd rather be spelunking and tomb raiding rather than starting the revolution.

 

Nobody said it had to be mind-numbingly simple either.
That's great that "KILL THINGS" motivates you. Really, it is. But it de-motivates me. So, y'know, your motivation=/=everyone's motivation.

I like how you assume that the game is about the way you play it. Completely and utterly 100% self-absorbed and false. The beauty of an open-ended sandbox is that it's about whatever you'd like to make it about. I make it about building things, small and large, and exploring new and exiting worlds. Not a game of "SLAUGHTER FOR L00TZZZ".

 

Totes McGotes.

Actually, I like Floran. I just wanted an excuse to link to the Sprint commercial.

Human is just kinda vanilla, which makes a bit of pragmatic sense. They're by default the least interesting, since they're the most like Real Life. It's easier to be creative when dealing with things that have no major correspondence with RL, or where you can pick one aspect of real life and exaggerate it.

 

He has a point. you dont have to be snippy. And thats true of any game anyway. I dont HAVE to play skyrim and kill dragons. I can be a nordic house husband that works on the farm and has sex every night with my argonian gay partner. BUT, the GOAL of the game is usually aquiring treasure, loot, and glory by way of killing dragons.

You dont have to fight the bosses. you dont have to fight at all. but thats how you progress in the game. the point is, what reason do the other races wanna progress this way? Florans have a goal that makes sense according to lore.

Humans dont. Killing bosses should not be first of the humans to do list. Why summon a skeleton dragon when you have a tentacle thing you should probably build an army to fight so you can take back earth? Why go dig and get ore as a glitch? This doesnt lead you to your creator, talking to people would!


Thats all that anybody is asking for. A motivation, in the lore, that makes sense. Even banjo kazooie had a lore reason to collect musical notes. Please dont be so angry and condescending. This is gaming 101, whats the characters reason to do anything? Nobody but floran has a reason to progress. Calling somebody self absorbed like that.. That was uncalled for. He wasnt even rude. In fact, what warranted that response?