I'm trying to make a realistic alien species. I have them as a kind and compassionate. They are also extremely loyal. Unfortunately i like them too much i'm having a problem with negative traits. I can't think of what they are bad at. I thought maybe compassionate to a fault. Too trusting that sorta thing but then I asked the question of how can a species survive to galactic stage if they are too trusting. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Also this is my first post so i'm sorry if I've done it wrong.
Just give them some human traits on the individual level. They can still be generally compassionate but also be jealous, competitive, vindictive, mendacious, manipulative, etc when they need to be. It's unlikely and species could be monolithic in their values and advance to the point of organized civilization. And if every member of the species acts the same that would be boring as hell to read about. Maybe everyone just thinks the aliens are compassionate to a fault from the outside, but once you peek under the hood, they're just like us. And like you said, it's very unlikely they would survive to the galactic stage if they were too trusting. Unless humans are the anomaly and the rest of the universe is a giant, cosmic tea party. Seems unlikely. And again it would be VERY boring to read about. I'd also consider why a benevolent species would be interested in expanding on the galactic level if everything was butterflies and rainbows back home. I would suggest maybe not focusing on the collective values of the species but the individual traits of its represented characters. Not saying you're doing that at all... just watch the width of your brush.
Thanks yeah the individual of the species i'm concentrating on isn't perfect and he is great fun to write about. so I think it is best to focus on that. My mind just wanders when i create aliens i get lost in the details.
My novel has three aliens as central figures. I never really thought about flaws. They have their traits and I guess I'm assuming that the characters will write themselves out with the flaws associated with certain traits. Such as the warrior lizard being brave and fearless can also come with being a bit bloodthirsty. I think perhaps if you try and get a deeper understanding of your characters, their virtues and flaws and traits will all sort of just write themselves out. Maybe its having a clearer vision for what you want to say in your story.
Traits that have been repressed could be the "flaws" of your aliens. Maybe your one race aliens were extremely vicious during the early part of their evolution but learned to repress it - until something triggers their violent rage. Just a thought...
Kind, compassionate, loyal, and always in the way, wanting to bestow attention and aid even when those things are neither wanted or needed. No social or personal boundaries. Emotionally and physically intrusive- the kind of neighbor who finds your key in its secret hiding spot, walks into your house without knocking, and has coffee and brioches waiting when you wake up.
Two ideas: 1. Those are possibly dog like traits. Dogs are bundles of virtue wrapped in bad habits (the only species that is happy to fall asleep with its nose pressed against its anus, for example). 2. Many people I know who are excessively compassionate (well, much more than me, anyway) have trouble being straight with people if it might lead to confrontation. It can cause some nasty atmospheres to build up, passive aggression when they think they are just being nice ('non-violent language' one person I knew called it), not speaking up when someone is inadvertantly upsetting them and just letting it get worse and worse. I used to live with someone like that, except even with the uninvited nice gestures he wasn't a nice person. He once woke a friend up in the morning by walking into his bedroom --- through a closed door, mind --- and pushing a cake he had baked him under his nose, until the smell woke him up and he opened his eyes to see this big guy leaning over him with a cake. Bloody hell. I had put him out of my mind.
Sorry. Shouldn't laugh when the mere memory of the fellow could lead to flashbacks and nightmares. I kind of like the idea of an alien learning to bake a cake and sticking it under the nose of the sleeping on-world host in order to show friendship. Of course, in some situations (morning after hangover?), that could lead to violence against the baker.
@Celeste Owens This is a struggle to make realistic. Most Alien personalities become a generic twist from ourselves across that entire species. An example of Klingons in Star Trek being war like in every aspect of life. Recently I’ve read the three body Problem by CIXIN LIU. The trilogy shows an advanced race that’s evolved to communicate telepathically. The downside side here is the species as forgotten how to lie or mislead. This makes total sense and wasn’t expecting it. Humans have many traits and that needs to be understood. Its survival... Other species on earth do show traits of jealousy, just ask our cats. Animals do lie to each other, but subterfuge is more for prey. Compassion, watch YouTube with cats’ dogs and other animals... In ALIENS 4, an awful film with one really good scene occurred. Three Xenomorphs were held captive and tortured by the humans with nitrogen gas. The ALIENS worked out if they killed one, the acid blood would melt the sealed cage and allow the others to escape. This is completely believable in the animal kingdom and yet involves strategy. Watch it. So, an ALIEN personality needs to come across as three dimensions that fits within its own environment. If they are Compassionate then probably are ALPHAs and must gain some reward for being that way. I bring my mate a cute puppy, she loves it and shows I have empathy. Therefore, will allow me to mate with her. If she saw me killing the same defenseless animal it would create fear and loathing in her mind.... etc. The species needs an overall general sense of what they are. Then the actual individual rubs up against expected norms because of some story conflict. Just my thoughts... MartinM.
I think that trait might turn into tribalism if overdone. So, maybe once they classified somebody as "friend" they stop being critical of that person and will support them no matter what. That could become a negative trait then. (Btw. I also have an alien species that's also extremely kind and compassionate and compulsorily cooperative. It makes sense in the environment they evolved in. But it lead to them avoiding any conflict. If somebody would attack them, they would try to negotiate. They just have no concept of fighting against another being. They are also said to be somewhat boring and to have no sense of humour. They are still the most beloved species in the galaxy, but if somebody really wanted to get them, they'd have a problem.) Oh, you also have warrior lizards? Me too.
