I already have five advanced species created, all of which I've mentioned before. I also have an idea for a sixth species but I'm still wondering whether they have a purpose in the story or not. I have a story set at a conference for the most advanced species in our galaxy. As the Curabitur (highly intelligent shapeshifers such as Mirus) are using this conference to get help for their war against the Exen (an extra-galactic species of war-like cybernetics who want to "improve" all life) I can't have them be the ones who created the Union to begin with, let alone invited everyone to the conference as every species would likely come to their aid straight away. I have a race of large lizard-like humanoids, bird-like people, humans, androids/AI and the possible sixth species who if included will be another cybernetic race. None of which are the heads of the Union (think galactic and effective United Nations). All of my species (apart from the Curabitur and the Exen) resemble Earth animals. I was thinking of doing the same with this leader species. An animal that's proud and considered wise. My first thought was of course the owl but the position of a bird-like race has already been taken. I just need an animal to work around. Not the dolphin or elephant, though. I just can't take an alien that looks like a dolphin seriously and every time I try to picture "elephant-people" in my head I end up thinking about the poor bugger who was nicknamed "the elephant man". Any other non-animal suggestions are welcomed too .
I would've gone with elephant before you said that's not an option and dolphin would've been my second choice. Hm... I got it, Manatee!
Spider. Also have at least one of the other delegates be extremely arachnophobic. That should stir things up a bit.
I love the idea of insectoid aliens. If you haven't got an insectoid species yet, I'd go with that. Or a Duck-Billed Platypus.
Has to be some sort of cat, with their smugly superior attitude. They also seem wise, though I suspect they're really as dumb as posts.
Some sort of insect with a hive mentality, think ants or bees, where there's a queen controlling all the workers. It might make for an interesting society, it would be "wise" because of all the shared knowledge, and it would be really weird for individuals from the other races to interact with a hivemind.
I like the idea of a siphonophorae, an animal that's actually a composition of several tiny animals. They could be psychic to communicate with other members of the colony to form a true democracy where every little piece votes on any decision the bigger colony makes. Examples in fiction would be Hunters from Halo and the Geth (robots, but still counts) from Mass Effect. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siphonophorae
I haven't seen an alien that is from an ocean world who has adapted to leave the water in space suits the way we'd go into space in a suit. Cephalopods are a likely choice given they are highly intelligent and communicate with their skin cells that change color instantly. It would also be interesting to play with the locomotion issue for a species that doesn't move about on legs. The suit would need to move the creature.
SPOILER ALERT: I got the Geth and Quarrians to live together in my playthrough of the three games. I always liked Legion, but Mordin's death hurt me more. I've decided to go with the Octopus idea as well as the idea of them wearing survival suits. Thanks for your help guys
I have a hard time with developing an alien species that I find believable enough. I often find myself falling back on old tropes from other sci-fi (lizards, dinosaur-looking, humanoid), but I guess that is what you have to do especially if you want your created species to be able to interface with humans in a coherent and peaceable manner.
I think when creating species too, I often over-estimate just how critically readers examine them. I mean, it took me 3 years and all three games of Mass Effect to really sit down and think about how absolutely absurd the Asari are as a species.
Probably at least as important as what your aliens look like is their psychology. For example intelligent bird-like creatures might have an instinctual aversion to closed in spaces long after their technology has provided them protection from predators. As another example it seems likely that all technological intelligences would be sociable in some way, but the way they express that sociability might be very different than what is normal for us Earth based primates. Getting these psychological issues "right" would go a long way toward enriching your aliens.
