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I agree with using 'type'. 'Phenotype', 'genus' and 'phylum' are just "scienc-y" enough to make people search what they mean and then complain it's inaccurate. 'Species' implies pre-defined options, 'family' and 'kingdom' would also have that problem, since more people would be familiar with the colloquial meanings than the taxonomical ones. 'Class', since it's a game, would probably imply something like rogue-mage-knight to most gamers. 'Order' or 'domain' may work too, but 'type' has the advantage over them that the colloquial meaning is also accurate.
That would be The Sims in space... I think "kinds" or "types" are good enough. It's not like we need to use an overly accurate scientific jargon.
"What's a group of species?" "A type!" What? No. Especially in context, "family" is plenty clear.
Why not abandon the use of biological terms and call them "racial archetypes" instead? 
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Clearly Paradox should put out a full dev diary tomorrow fully explaining the race/faction system for this game, were saying 7 "types" of aliens to choose from, exactly what are they and how much can they vary within themselves, were now saying that mammalian is 1 of the 7 allowing things from basic humans to in theory bear people or hedgehog people and presumably there can be multiple types of humans as well
This is all very vague and I feel like this is one of cores to this game, a lot of people are worried about the symmetrical start as it is rather different then most Paradox games and I feel better explaining how we set up the game and start in including the choosing of race would really help people understand what were looking at
This is all very vague and I feel like this is one of cores to this game, a lot of people are worried about the symmetrical start as it is rather different then most Paradox games and I feel better explaining how we set up the game and start in including the choosing of race would really help people understand what were looking at
To the average potential consumer "family" means nothing useful in the context of the game.
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No, it isn't. Type is far clearer. The average player almost certainly has no idea family means anything other than the common use of the word. Unless they just walked out of a biology class, that is. Personally, I like phenotype, but seem people seem to get so pedantic about these things.
As somebody who loved the book Footfall, I'm hoping an elephant-like species can be created out of the mammalian phenotype.
Clear to whom?, I get it, you get it, maybe a lot of the forums would, but we are at most a vocal minority. They need to go with something that's clear for the average player.
classifications could work.
"Choose between 7 different playable Classifications, each with unique appearances, traits, and ethics. Alternatively, design and name a custom species with the government and attributes you desire"
"Choose between 7 different playable Classifications, each with unique appearances, traits, and ethics. Alternatively, design and name a custom species with the government and attributes you desire"
I wonder if, during your exploration ... you suddenly encounter another humanoid-like species ... that looks like you ... acts like you ... and thinks like you ....
...
It will suddenly get creepy in there.
...
It will suddenly get creepy in there.
The 7th are either insectoids or silicoids. However I believe we will get new archtypes with dlcs. They could add some more exotic ones like a gasous life-form, energy based life -form, etc.
"Announcing Paradox's new DLC 'Tasty Taxonomy', new types of species to play and new traits including the 'Cannibals' trait, allowing you to use your pops to feed your other pops."
im not going to cast a vote on the correct "word" yet, but im going to try and inform the people in this thread who seem to be confused. there are 7 classifications of outward characteristics that AI aliens can sort into, alien races, of course, up to now, being randomized.
perhaps at game creation we could add our own ai nations but that is neither here nor there.
back to the point, this does not mean that the number of preset, whatevers need be 7! after all, id hate to have a preset mammalian race and no humanoid(mammalian) race, or vice versa. it could be less choices than 7, it could be more, but it has nothing to do with the number of classes, orders, phenotypes, whatever, in the game. i dont think at any selection screen you will see something like "7 fabulous choices!" why do i bring this up? well, to inform, and also to suggest that the term paradox settles on move toward something that could be seen as vaguely political, as in suggesting that you're reading about 1 faction and not a type of alien, like family or kingdom. after all, the way i foresee it(and i may be wrong) the only place you'd ever see this in game is when observing a species, in game or in the selection screen or whatever. in that case, something like "order: mammalian" isn't too confusing.
after typing this all out i decided that i love an idea somebody else had earlier in the thread. archetype
perhaps at game creation we could add our own ai nations but that is neither here nor there.
back to the point, this does not mean that the number of preset, whatevers need be 7! after all, id hate to have a preset mammalian race and no humanoid(mammalian) race, or vice versa. it could be less choices than 7, it could be more, but it has nothing to do with the number of classes, orders, phenotypes, whatever, in the game. i dont think at any selection screen you will see something like "7 fabulous choices!" why do i bring this up? well, to inform, and also to suggest that the term paradox settles on move toward something that could be seen as vaguely political, as in suggesting that you're reading about 1 faction and not a type of alien, like family or kingdom. after all, the way i foresee it(and i may be wrong) the only place you'd ever see this in game is when observing a species, in game or in the selection screen or whatever. in that case, something like "order: mammalian" isn't too confusing.
after typing this all out i decided that i love an idea somebody else had earlier in the thread. archetype
Barring an ancient race seeding all life, none of the races will have common ancestors, so trying to categorize them like we are is a bit iffy. I think it would be best to call them something like 'six categories' or 'six archetypes'- trying to bring class and phylum into it just convolutes the issue.
well it was mentioned in one of the articles that in some play-thoughts you discover that all life was seeded by an ancient race...