Here's a Kat bar, Spirit

How a priestess dress is definitely not an indication on how a normal kat woman would dress though... Also, it should be clear that the Kilrathi economy is very war driven -- this can be done by a simple trick, make civilian bases look dirtier/poorer. Just adding rust to metal surface will get the idea across.

And about beauty vs. brains -- at my age (I'm 24) beauty wins every time. That's just the way it is. Guys don't look at brains and some guys look at brains negatively, even.... (Which is fine to me, it's the best way for me to know I needn't bothe with them). Admittedly girls aren't much better in this respect... (gotta love being bi).

Oh well, leaves me more time to study and to work on videogames :p
 
Brad, regarding the architecture: I have no attachment whatsoever to that first crack. I just took the mining base bar and modified it minimally to get the show on the road, since it's rather urgent to have "some kind" of kilrathi bar in the game. (I'm still unable to log into Linux as user, since the crash I got when I clicked on a bar in Kilrah...).
As for clothing, I'm willing to meet you half way: I'll put clothes on the military fixers and characters, if you agree to have civilian cats unconcerned with clothing. Deal?
 
BradMick said:
ah, okay....

" the kilrathis roots are rock dwelling creatures are evident in their dwellings - mesa like pillars and protrusions are often found rising from unlikely locations. exposed machinery is common, and ceilings are rarely enclosed, leaving cables and ductwork exposed.

lighting is usually dark and murky, and the high tempartures and zero humidity favored by the species often results in decidedly dusty atmospheric effects. ans as with clothing, trophies of war play a priminent role in interior decoration - skulls of victims or blasted hull fragments of conquered starships are often placed on garish display'

i stand corrected, and there's the desired look to go for.
Click to expand...

Consider it done.
 
I'm going to see if I can get someone to draw a kilrathi woman... she might or might not look a bit like me. :p

This aside, I second dan_w 's call on clothing for the most part -- kilrathi would wear clothing with a function (armor, spacesuits, insignia) but do without if they can. I'm thinking Chewbacca here, as an idea.
 
as far as clothing is concerned, the cats are NOT primitive and uncivilized folk. they're pretty highly developed, the only reference we know of regarding cats being naked is in paintings (which i'd guess would be their equivalent to our early classical works) and some concubines. The Kilrathi walk about wearing clothes, having some naked and trying to create a 'primitive' culture to a highly developed civilization doesn't really gel to well.
 
People, we really need some fun in here - and I like your ideas, they made me smile a lot.

But anyway, with the fandom atmosphere being heated up as it is, you'll easily be misunderstood. Then we have the whole traditions vs. artistic license debate rolling again.... :(

So, let's be reasonable:

Kilrathi architecture: There is a lot of descriptions of Kilrathi buildings in Freedom Flight (the novel), and you get the general idea of theis aesthetics from some of the game intros (WC2, WC3). In general, they seem to like asymmetric designs with long-drawn lines and sharp edges. Somewhat like art deco, only "harder".

Clothing/style: There're also some passages in the novels - from what I recall, it's between practical for uniforms and flowing robes for formal occasions, but I might be wrong here. But I'm quite sure if there is a scene in Freedom Flight when the authors describe some Kilrathis civilians.

Kilrathi look: I don't think we need to argue about that. The games tell us how they look, and that they are an alien race that only remotely resembles the terran species family of cats. The whole "kat" thing is a human strategy to familiarize the unfamiliar, and even to make the enemy less fearsome (as in "Charlie", "the Krauts", etc.).

Kilrathi civilian ships/traders: Blanketyblank. Brad?

Kilrathi trade goods: That milk and catnip thought is pretty funny, but in all earnest I fear that you'll get court-martialed for that. There definitely are Kilrathi beverages, like Arakh Tea - see the drinks list: https://www.wcnews.com/articles/art5.shtml If I do recall right, there even is a Kilrathi drug.. but I might confuse this with Arakh leaves.
As for the sign: Someone somewhere had a Kilrathi font, so you can put up signs in Kilrathi lettering all over the place. Wait - got it: ftp://ftp.wcnews.com/files/other/viner.zip

Female Kilrathi: I searched the forum, and they are mentioned quite a lot. Some appearances:
* Sivar Priestess in a Secret Missions 2 cutscene.
* The Kilrathi princess in two WCA episodes.
* The art of at least one of the CCGs 'Luck' cards.
* In the "temple artwork" in the WCP intro.
I haven't looked for a picture, but anyone who has access to those sources might go and grab a screenshot.

And for the whole thing - people will still argue that Kilrathi won't open bars or let people land on their bases, because the concept of intercultural trading is alien to them... - but in my eyes, although this isn't documented in the canonized game world, it may not deny the canon either.
I don't really know - maybe there are some renegade kats who want to trade, but they have never featured in the games...
 
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Kilrathi women show up all the time, and they play a huge and influential role in Kilrathi society. The Cult of Sivar is run entirely by women, and they have a huge amount of control over the Kilrathi military.

Pursuant to that, we've seen Kilrathi priestesses all over the place: in a Secret Missions 2 cutscene, in CCG artwork, in a two part episode of Wing Commander Academy, etc. As characters Kilrathi women show up on occasion in the novels -- Ralgha's childhood friend Hassa is probably the best example.


^^ Criticalmass beat me to it -- he summarized everything much better than I could hope to.
 
And for the whole thing - people will still argue that Kilrathi won't open bars or let people land on their bases, because the concept of intercultural trading is alien to them... - but in my eyes, although this isn't documented in the canonized game world, it may not deny the canon either.
I don't really know - maybe there are some renegade kats who want to trade, but they have never featured in the games...
Click to expand...

We talked on IRC about this last night as a game balancing tool.

If the player is friendly to the Kilrathi (and considered a Mandarin), it makes sense that he would have free reign of their space... and that they their 'official' bases would provide him access to cheaper missiles/weapons/etc. The Kilrathi have an interest in letter Privateers raid human space, afterall.

In addition, there'd be civilian outposts in Kilrathi space that would be open regardless of alliance -- like Gar's Emporium in Action Stations. The Kilrathi have a black market and a mecantile society and all that that they're happy to unofficially connect to our own.
 
BradMick said:
as far as clothing is concerned, the cats are NOT primitive and uncivilized folk. they're pretty highly developed, the only reference we know of regarding cats being naked is in paintings (which i'd guess would be their equivalent to our early classical works) and some concubines. The Kilrathi walk about wearing clothes, having some naked and trying to create a 'primitive' culture to a highly developed civilization doesn't really gel to well.
Click to expand...

I don't equate "nakedness" to "uncivilized". Humans have a unique NEED for clothing, due to our losing our hair, which is probably a genetic regression. And I believe that only NEED justifies clothing; --I don't agree at all with "puritan" shame. Our society is uncivilized and backwards in considering nudity "offensive" or distasteful.
 
dan_w said:
I don't equate "nakedness" to "uncivilized". Humans have a unique NEED for clothing, due to our losing our hair, which is probably a genetic regression. And I believe that only NEED justifies clothing; --I don't agree at all with "puritan" shame. Our society is uncivilized and backwards in considering nudity "offensive" or distasteful.
Click to expand...

It's a well thought out opinion and one that I think should be argued in other venuses -- but changing the nature of the Kilrathi isn't going to do that. It's just going to make people confused and angry.

(It's also a weird way of supporting your moral view, since the Kilrathi are nominally the bad guys.)
 
Bandit LOAF said:
^^ Criticalmass beat me to it -- he summarized everything much better than I could hope to.
Click to expand...

I actually stole the references from one of your posts, but the whole quote thingie got cut out when I reformatted some of the post - Sorry.

BTW - wasn't there an alternative novel cover art pic with a female Kilrathi on it?
 
heres a quick line sketch i did off of a shot of thrakath from WC2....maybe shoot more for somehting like this.....

meaning i templated it and traced it quick. ^^
 

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Yeah, Brad, that's one kitten, but they can't all look the same. By the way, notice that humans are fairly unique among species for the comparatively insignificant amount of variation. Dogs come in a lot of sizes and looks, by comparison. So, I'm assuming that kilrathis are more typical than humans, as a species, in that they sport many sub-species, and sub-sub-species, and fur-colors. So, do we have a deal or not? If so, I'll give the first cat, the military fixer, a uniform like thrakath's.
 
Well, Thrak is the crown prince -- something like Khasra's would be better... less ornate and more practical. But, please do as you see fit :) you're the artist.
 
dan_w said:
... So, I'm assuming that kilrathis are more typical than humans, as a species, in that they sport many sub-species, and sub-sub-species, and fur-colors...
Click to expand...
Compare Melek and Thrakhath

Thrakhath is of the best genetic stock, while Melek is of a lower class, has a more pronounced muzzle, darker features, and mottled colors in his hair.

Then look at the guards!
 
spiritplumber said:
(pet peeve of mine -- i'm automatically considered ugly just because i'm tall and wide... that's not right... i'm not a venus but i'm healthy and beautiful, thank you ^-^ )
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All this -and- intelligent -and- a computer nerd?

You just may define my vision of beautiful.

I think I am in love!

I know, off topic- WCU is supposed to be the only love here.

*goes back to work- again*

-thehawk
 
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