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For sheer diversity of alien races, I'd have to go with Star Control 2. It's a game developed for the PC and still runs well in DOS-only mode.
Quick summary of alien races in this game for the uninitiated:
* Androsynth: From /andro-/ (meaning man) and /synth/ (menaing artificial), genetically-engineered humans without reproductive organs created as slaves. Fled Earth en masse to colonize Eta Vulpeculae.
* Ariloulaleelay: The "greys" of modern "alien abductions"; they admit to experimenting on humans, but only vaguely hint at why. Quote: "In a way, ignorance is your best armor, your best protection. They cannot see you now. They cannot smell you. Much of our work with your people involved making you invisible... changing your smell. If I tell you more, you will look where you could never look before and while you are looking you can and will be seen. You do not want to be seen."
* Chenjesu: A sessile, crystalline species, probably the most intelligent in the galaxy.
* Chmmr: A hybrid race made from the Chenjesu and the Mmrnmhrm (see above and below). Quote: "We had no choices beyond submission or devastation. Before the Ur-Quan arrived to accept our surrender, we sent one last message to your people -- a message suggesting that your species do as we Chenjesu and Mmrnmhrm planned to do: We would accept the Ur-Quan's demands and become slaves..."
* Dnyarri: A toad-like creature possessing *massive* psionic powers; several of them dominated an entire species for millenia. Quote: "I am bored. Please send me a couple of your crew members to play with. Preferably one male, and one female, though I won't be picky. No?! You have no sense of fun, Captain. You must have been a boring child."
* Druuge: A rather fetid race which runs on attempting to gain the economic upper hand. (Their homeworld is named "The Central Office of the Crimson Corporation".) Quote: "We are the Druuge of the Crimson Corporation, and you are a convicted criminal! Your attacks on our peaceful Trading vessels are illegal. You have been judged in violation of Druuge Statute 3183 - subsection B2, entitled 'Legal Circumstances Permitting Unwarranted Attack'. As a result of your transgressions, your vessel has been declared salvage, and as soon as you are dead, we will take lawful possession."
* Earthlings: Duh. Quote: "The sooner you get this thing off this starbase, the less likely it is that the thing will get loose and kill us all. Uh... guess that's it."
* Ilwrath: Spider-descendants who worship twin gods of evil, Dogar and Kazon. Their rituals in service to these gods are too terrible to describe quickly. They enjoy torturing humans because they scream a lot. Quote: "Ha! Evil! Of course we're evil! Dogar and Kazon would never reward a less-than-hideously evil species with their baleful grace. Why, we are the very definition of evil! Everything about us, within and without, reeks of heinous deeds, deceit and treachery! Even our house pets are rather evil."
* Kohr-Ah: An offshoot of the Ur-Quan race (see below), bred as grunts. Compelled to annihilate every sentience they encounter in the hopes that it will be reincarnated as a Kohr-Ah. Quote: "We are the Kohr-Ah. We cleanse our destiny. You will soon die. Make whatever rituals are necessary for your species."
* Melnorme: Traders in all sorts of information; they are privy to a thousand secret sources of information in space and time. Quote: "Why, right here on my display screen, I have something which I am certain would be of incalculable value to you! We can discuss the details of this VERY significant information later, when we have established normal trading procedures, at which time we shall also discuss the nature of our fees."
* Mmrnmhrm: A robotic race that arrived when an automated factory landed on a planet and built them. No one knows who built them or why.
* Mycon: Fungal religious zealots that appear to share a communal memory. They are able to change their own genetic structure through thought alone. Quote: "I am Dugee. I am the purity monitor. I choose what buds are permitted to mature and which must be eradicated. I died of general malfunction 57,283 years ago."
* Orz: Ethanol-breathing fishy things. Generally friendly. Might have accidentally exterminated the Androsynth, but no one can translate their language with 100% accuracy. Quote: "This is my *house*. Do you want to know a *secret*? Do not *think* it too *not campers*. You are so many *lonely* *juicy* *bubbles*. It is so sad. Now that you are *campers* you will have more *parties* and no more *sad* *lonely* *bubbles*. This is the *secret*." (Best-fit translations are delineated by asterisk pairs.)
* Pkunk: Mystical bird-descendants; nomadic cousins of the Yehat (see below). They follow a highly mystical religion similar to New Age. Quote: "Welcome, alien guest, to the home of the gentle and playful Pkunk, Children of the Cosmic Light, Hobgoblins of Joy, Seekers of Spiritual Truth, and other neat stuff like that."
* Shofixti: Marsupials following the societal model of medieval Japan. Prone to bouts of honorable suicide. Quote: "You were most fortunate last time, you hideous, pouchless freak, but this time I shall surely destroy your vessel, you slithering eater of putrid hairballs."
* Slylandro: Bags of gas that inhabit a 500-km wide band in the atmosphere of a gas giant. Quote: "Most of the time, when we aren't eating, we hover around and talk about what the clouds look like. Of course, the only things we know about are clouds, food, and other Slylandro, so generally, that's what we think the clouds look like."
* Spathi: Cowardly mollusk-descendants that were tricked by the Umgah into becoming battle thralls. Quote: "The words he spoke were of planet-shaking significance! At least, we assume so. We can't really be sure, because all of the Spathi on board at the time were curled tightly in their shellcases, and couldn't hear very well."
* Supox: Plants that seek out symbiotic relationships with other species. (Their name for their home planet translates as "Earth", meaning "perfectly good and nutritious dirt.") Quote: "Greetings and Salutations. May the fertilizer flow on your roots."
* Syreen: Blue-skinned, powerfully telepathic space babes. Quote: "I have plans... plans you would be most interested in hearing. But I shall save them for later... when we can meet... privately."
* Thraddash: A group of creatures who follow the dictum "Might Makes Right" to the letter. Major philosophical changes in their society tend to follow major world wars. Quote: "Either you win and prove your superiority... SNORT! Or you lose and are vanquished. If the vanquished is lucky, it may survive to learn an important lesson from its defeat. This is the way of the Thraddash! We fight and learn and improve! All other cultural schemes are inferior. This is a proven fact."
* Umgah: A blobby race with high biological technology. Prone to playing practical jokes (and more than one has accidentally caused the extinction of a species). Quote: "GENETIC MODIFICATION!! YES! IT PERFECT GIFT! Listen human Earthling! We add some extra eyes! A few tentacles! Other organs of whatever size and shape you desire!! What?! You not want more organs?... You sure?... How strange... how sad."
* Ur-Quan: A race resembling enormous caterpillars, genetically compelled to conquest. The first signal we humans received from an alien species was in fact (unbeknownst to us) an Ur-Quan battle cry; intercepted radio transmissions from Earth proved that there were sentient species in the galaxy that could be conquered. Quote: "Your independence is too dangerous for us to tolerate. You shall be punished."
* Utwig: A terminally depressed humanoid species. The race has rather elaborate rituals involving facial masks; they have all worn the Mask of Despair ever since the destruction of their beloved mystical fortune-telling device, the Ultron. Quote: "I suppose, as a courtesy, I should extend an appropriate greeting. On behalf of the Utwig Proctors I truly hope, for your sake, that your day has been better than ours -- although this really isn't saying that much."
* VUX: Actually stands for Very Ugly Xenoform. The entire species is still embittered against humans for an accidental insult delivered by Captain Rand preceding peace negotiaitions. Quote: "Welcome to the end of your life, courtesy of VUX technology. Our infinite supply of Intruder vessels is even now locking their vaporizers onto your position, and we shall end your painful, grotesque existence for you as soon as possible. In the meantime, here is a little music..."
* Yehat: Bird-descendants that have followed a feudalistic society since their civilization was born. Exceptionally gifted in combat. Quote: "We, the Zeep-Zeep, are the only Clan who remember the TRUE MEANING of honor. We shall TEAR THE QUEEN FROM HER THRONE! The two-thousand year reign of the Veep-Neep Queens is OVER! THE REVOLUTION HAS BEGUN!"
* Zoq-Fot-Pik: Actually three distinct races that evolved sentience simultaneously on their home planet. Participate in galaxy-famous Frungy tournaments. Quote: "We would like to form a formal mutual assistance pact with your species. One of those 'You scratch my vent - I'll scratch your flipper' set-ups. And as a sign of our good faith, we will provide you with skilled Captains and plans for building our 'Stinger' starships. In return, if the bad guys find our homeworld, you'll rush over here and vaporize 'em."
Besides all these, there are alien races that pop up only in discussion with *these* alien races, or ones that pop up if you strike up a conversation about ancient galactic history with someone. (Some examples: the Precursors, the Gg, the Burvixese, the Yuli, the Yuptar, the Keel-Vereezy, the *Nnngn*, the Mael-Num, the Taalo, the Faz...) There's also a "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy"-esque humor that pervades the entire game.
I know the game is old -- 1992 -- but if you haven't played it, do so! It's positively addicting.
[Edited by space_nut on 11-30-2000 at 08:48]
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Thread 
11/29/00 23:22
We the aliens!
Cool. :-)
!!!
I mean we are talking about SCIENCE FICTION was the first posted stated. Although unlike alot of people in the creature effects biz, who said it was an incredibly flawed hoax, I think it was really well done. Right down to the graphically similar genetalia which forced FOX to blur it out, adding to the realism. I think alot of the little details were quite brilliant.