Storyline is how I choose. I know it may seem odd to some but I like to fall into the illution/delusion of the genre. What the aliens look like has some bearing but mostly I like to be something that represents me. In RPG terms I am a chaotic neutral in life or atleast I try to be. My morals are loose and revised all the time. I like the flexability of a race. One day I can choose to be diplomatic but if you annoy me on another day I can gladly burn you to the ground. It seems alot of SC terms in here but I really loved Birth of the Federation. I loved it so much i kept a old pc for a long time to keep playing it. The Cardasions were great for bending the will of a concoured planet to my side but the storm trooper tactics of the Klingons suited me well also. I can work on tech but I can't be a flexible if my race is only war like or a whussy diplomat.

Personalty I like bug building races. The Klakon in MOO 2 or the Hivers in Sword of the Stars. Races that may be slow, but make up for it with strong industry and durability.

I'm a Psilon player in MoOII and like Thalans and Yor in GalCivII, Protoss in Starcraft and Tau in WH40k, but generally speaking there are some traits I like in alien races:

. ESP powers

. High intelligence and advanced technology, focus on knowledge, some cybernetic implants

. Honour-bound military, no mindless aggression but neither Federation-style pacifism

. Low population, low birthrate, long life - each individual is important

. a little religious or mystic overtone in government, but not fundamentalist

. dolphin or whale-like features, or wholly alien apparence like Hanar in Mass Effect

I like races that are good at adapting to hazardous environments, peaceful, unified, growing and expanding fast, with more focus on research and overwhelming production than military power. I always went for the insect look because I love how ants work together that way to achieve great things with their hivemind, even though the single organism is weak and primitive, but amoebae or large alien bacteria would work as well.



Problem is, even though I love the concept, it's not really my playstyle. Somewhere down the line I'm neglecting all the expansion I should be doing, or fail to expand due to overly agressive neighbours, and get stuck with 4-5 really good systems and try to take the game from there.