Starflight II: Nonconvergent Evolution

Somehow this was the fittest thing to survive on its planet.

The theory of convergent evolution says that the same biological traits can develop in entirely different biological lineages as long as the environment is favorable to the development of the trait. Thus, we see wings on both bats and butterflies, opposable thumbs on both primates and possums. Some evolutionary theorists argue that given predominant environmental conditions, certain evolutionary stages are essentially inevitable. One day humans may become extinct and dolphins may become the dominant intelligence on the planet--but when that happens, dolphins will have evolved to look a lot like humans.

Courtesy of DeviantArt user MrNinjutsu. Good luck sleeping tonight.

The theory is convenient for science fiction authors looking to explain why their alien races basically look like people. Since it would cost too much to make the main character a giant spider, and you wouldn't be able to empathize with him anyway, convergent evolution--on a galactic scale--serves as a convenient lampshade for human aliens (Superman, Centauri), bumpy-forehead aliens (Klingons, Newcomers), and humanoid aliens (Narns, Cardassians). Farscape managed to build an entire main cast of aliens who, though one was a plant and another was a frog, were still all bipeds with recognizable faces, opposable thumbs, eyes, noses, sexual organs on the lower half of the body, and the ability to digest the same foods.

Arthur C. Clarke has a great passage about this subject in 2001: A Space Odyssey, drawn from the debates he and Stanley Kubrick had with several scientists:

"What would intelligent extraterrestrials look like?" [The biologists] divided themselves into two opposing camps--one arguing that such creatures must be humanoid, the other equally convinced that "they" would look nothing like men.

Settling for the first answer were those who believed that the design of two legs, two arms, and main sense organs at the highest point, was so basic and so sensible that it was hard to think of a better one. Of course, there would be minor differences like six fingers instead of five, oddly colored skin or hair, and peculiar facial arrangements; but most intelligent extraterrestrials...would be so similar to Man that they might not be glanced at twice in poor lighting, or from a distance.

This anthropomorphic thinking was ridiculed by another group of biologists, true products of the Space Age who felt themselves free from the prejudices of the past. They pointed out that the human body was the result of millions of evolutionary choices, made by chance over eons of time. At any one of these countless moments of decision, the genetic dice might have fallen differently, perhaps with better results.

Freed from the budgetary constraints of modeling and showing the aliens in action, Starflight II falls clearly in the second camp. We've got intelligent aliens that look like depressed marsupials, googly-eyed worms, furry things with multiple eyes and tentacles, clouds of gas, and a cross between a mushroom and a jellyfish.

And yet as inhuman as they are in appearance, they seem very human in their needs, desires, and flaws. Among them, we have almost every human failing, from hubris to cowardice to despair. Starflight II's thesis seems to be that intelligent extraterrestrials might look a lot different than people, but they act essentially the same.

"I said, 'Die, heretic!' and I pushed him off the bridge."

The relationships, histories, and secrets of these alien species form the core of the game's quest. My mission (or my initial mission, anyway) is to puzzle through this nebula to figure out how the Spemin managed to achieve such technological superiority in so short a time frame.

As in the first game, enemies are encountered through random exploration, with a much greater (near 100%) chance of encounter when approaching their home systems. Some have a pre-spacefaring level of technology, so interaction with them is limited to planetary trade. Others fly around through the universe, and encountering them offers options for dialogue and information-gathering.

Encounters and dialogue proceed in Starflight II identically to the first game. When you encounter an alien ship, you can hail them or wait for them to hail you. Either way, you have the choice of three "postures" to take with them: hostile, friendly, and obsequious. Depending on the race's disposition (and perhaps other factors), different stances will yield different results. The screen shots below show three different hailing postures.

It's been a long time since I played it, but I feel like in the first game, there were more significant consequences to the postures. I find that in this game, I get the same basic information no matter what posture I use, and no one has attacked me for being hostile. Admittedly, though, I haven't tried every combination with every species, and my normal default is "friendly."

These are the species I've encountered so far, along with relevant hints on the main quest. My recall here is facilitated by a "Playback" command on the "Communication Officer" menu, which provides a transcript of all the conversations I've had with the various species. As in the first game, aliens often cut off dialogue before all options are exhausted, meaning you have to parlay with them multiple times to get all their intelligence.

1. Tandelou. The Tandelou occupy the section of space where starport was built. They are currently embroiled in a civil war between two factions--the Eshvey and the Eshvara--and each says the other can't be trusted. The cause of their schism is so far impenetrable, as they both claim to believe something called Thdok-Bryg-Ahhh (which appears to be some kind of ritual) and "universal harmonious discord." They also both keep asking whether I've ever sold "god-masks" or destroyed any of the other faction's ships, and I'm not sure what answer they're looking for to either question.

The Spemin first visited them five years ago, and it was apparently before the Spemin aquired their fancy new weapons, since the Tandelou found their lack of faith disturbing and destroyed several of their ships. Ultimately, though, the Tandelou found the Spemin "lovable," perhaps because they look like the Tandelou in their larval stage. The civil war may have something to do with an artifact that the Spemin stole from them; I'm told that the return of something will end their war.

They frequenly mention their "sun-brothers," the Lowar, who are now extinct but gifted the Tandelou with the Gorzek (below).

2. Gorzek. I'm not sure if Gorzek is a group of entities or a single entity, but it's a metallic artificial intelligence given to the Tandelou by the Lowar before they were destroyed. I'm not sure exactly what its function is, but it wants me to end the hostilities between the Tandelou factions by the "most valuable thing" stolen from them. The Gorzek can't talk to me or offer me anything useful until I do this. It gave me coordinates to a planet where I can supposedly find it, but I haven't gone yet.

3. Humna Humna. A trading and diplomatic species who first encountered humans in this part of the galaxy and sold them the star maps with the trading beacons. They don't like the Spemin, and they have also noted the Spemin's sudden acquisition of dangerous technologies. They say it resembles legendary technology from an ancient, extinct race called the Leghk.

Every time I meet them, they ask me to give them Shyneum fuel, though there doesn't seem to be any penalty if I say no. They miss the "golden age of trade" of about 450 years ago, when they had bases on every planet with a sentient race.

4. Umanu. The Umanu are a hostile race living in the cloud nebula. They betrayed and destroyed the Lowar, and the Tandelou consequently avoid them.

5. Dweenle. The Dweenle are a perpetually pessimistic and depressed species who haven't given me a smidgen of useful information, preferring to spend our conversations moaning about this and that. The only reason I know their name is because it shows up in the "playback" log. No posture seems to provide anything but bellyaching.

He sounds exactly like one of my former co-workers.

I've also encountered planetside species called Tarn, Chichifa, and Lieu Vadish, but since none of them have ships, and the only place to engage in conversation is in space, I haven't been able to learn anything from them. I assume they're not really important.

I'm grateful for the Humna Humna beacons, because it never would have occurred to me to try to trade with whatever this is.

I've explored about one-third of the map, and frankly I had expected to meet more species by now. It's a little disappointing when I hail a new group of ships and it turns out to be someone I've already talked to extensively. I can usually tell who they are by their response to the initial hail.

Ah, yes, the Dweenle again.

From my various conversations, plus a couple notices in starport I have four places to visit:

• The location of the "most valuable thing" stolen from the Tandelou by the Spemin.
• The remains of a Lowar spacecraft.
• Ruins of the Leghk species, where the Spemin may have obtained their technology
• An anomaly in space from which no vessel returns.

Although I haven't finished outfitting my crew or ship yet, it seems sensible to make continued exploration and trade a part of my questing and not a thing in itself, so I set off to the closest of the coordinates--the ruins of the Lowar vessel--but that forced me to cross into the cloud nebula, and the moment I entered, I was attacked by something (the Umanu?) and killed.

Thus, I've decided to skirt around the top side of the nebula, stopping at trading points and logging planets along the way. It's a little brash of me, because unless I can find successful trade (or a continuum flux), I'll run out of fuel at some point on the trip. But aliens' penchant for buying species found on their own planets means that I'll probably be able to get by (and I suspect the developers included this feature for this reason). By next time, I should have more on the main quest.