I'm curious as to how to convey setting information through multiplayer gameplay. The reason I ask is that one of my three larger-budget concepts (not yet uploaded) is a multiplayer science-fiction shooter RPG. (Also a vehicle sim, with a "skirmish" RTS mode. There's a lot here.) There won't be a campaign, when it starts it will only have five maps, but it still needs to get the setting across and more importantly communicate the character of each faction.

While the text descriptions and database will have plenty of information, I wholly expect most players to ignore both entirely, so this is unreliable and I need to rely on things other than text. (And ignore the idiots that judge the factions entirely on their appearance.) Part of this I know how to do through gameplay and statistics. For example, simini place a lot of importance on themselves and their safety and care nothing for other species. This is communicated by simini units and abilities having the best defensive power and restorative abilities, but simini being able to capture civilians and use them as slave labour and cannon fodder without their normally great defensive power or restorative abilities. Their bahaar servants, on the other hand, were created to exterminate the enemies of the simini, and place high value on personal power and improvisation. They are a very strongly offensive faction, with great natural power and mobility, with higher than normal low-level power and great offence and flexibility early in skirmishes, (they work best with "zerg rush" strategies) yet their gear is primitive and improvised, they progress slowly with low level caps and have lacklustre power later on in skirmishes.

What I'm looking for is more suggestions on how to convey these things through means other than text. Not just mechanics, but also aesthetics.

What you really need is human inspiration. I personally believe it's rather impossible for humans to construct truly alien cultures. We just dont have the imagination. Instead we construct human cultural aspects and give them alien form. This way what you really need is to figure out what human cultural aspects inspire your various species.

The issue is I can't make them an expy of a real human culture. They all have to be (and are) unique. They have a particular set of traits that humans may identify with, but also have a set of traits that humans do not have. I cannot cheapen them by basing them off of a real-world culture.

You can convey this by making the aesthetics of the different races resemble human cultures in subtle way. For instance. The slave loving "Simini" could use roman-looking architecture in their buildings or roman-looking combat armor. Or move in phalanx formations or something. If anyone is using a zerg-rush strategy try to sneak in a reference to the D-Day landing in Normandy or something. Game music and quotes and unit greetings can help this along too.

You're mistaking a symptom for the cause. Simini don't love slavery. If any simini was asked what they thought of slavery, they would tell you it is a disgusting and inhumane practice, and they truly believe that. Their actions are a result of their disdain for other species, they think of other species as animals and believe it's alright to enslave them because of that. While they do acknowledge that other species are above common animals to some extent, they don't see enough difference to give them any more rights than an animal.

Think about star craft:This is the cinematic when completing the terran campaign in the original brood war expansion:

Look how closely it resembles the world war 2 propaganda films:

Even down to the music it's clear to see what the inspiration is.

We know. That said, Star Craft is a bad example. The three factions are all planets of hats, bereft of any complexity or variation that might redeem them.

Now think about what makes the Protoss seem noble in your eyes.
It's in their dialogue. The music. The sleek architecture of golden structures. Their tall stature. These are all how you'd make a human look proud and alien at the same time. The fact that their structures are all golden and their home planet is green makes me think of how the aztecs must have seemed to the spanish conquistadors. Alien and honorable at the same time.

Yeah, no. The aztecs didn't seem "honorable" to anybody. The spanish saw them as evil, sub-human monsters to be slaughtered en masse for their profit. (Although I can't argue the "evil" part.)

So my advice to you is to figure out what human cultural aspects inspire each species in your game. Then start making that the template on their cultural design as much as possible.

Alright then, let's try the simini.

The simini are arrogant and self-obsessed and care no more for the lives of other species than Americans care for the lives of whatever "savages" they're bombing at the time. They also have a silly phobia that overwhelms all their senses (mention their ocean anywhere near them, they'll all get uncomfortable) and tend to get tunnel vision when working with one thing for too long. Hm. What human culture does that... oh, right, all of them. That really narrows it down.

Alright, maybe we'll have better luck with the bahaar.

The bahaar are servile, devoted and unquestioningly loyal. They follow the commands of their master to the death, and put down any among their numbers that dissent even slightly. They commit horrid atrocities without a second thought on the word of their masters, never even stopping to think that maybe their master didn't think the order through or might not have meant it quite the way they think. They also think that such unquestioning obedience is a virtue, and that the atrocities they commit are just, just because it's their master's will. Now what culture would... wait, that's any and every military in the history of the world. That doesn't get me anywhere either.

Ferroningen, maybe?

The ferroningen are practical, pragmatic and have no concept of morality outside of practicality. If they say something is "wrong", they mean that at some level it causes problems for them. They don't have any religions, they don't make art, they don't wear clothing, they don't have music. They do have emotions, but those emotions are hidden at all times until they go completely ballistic. They have a lamarckian memory that makes some inherently better suited for particular tasks, and as a result develop into particular tasks very well and do poorly outside of them, creating regimented castes in their very nature that don't seem wrong to them and really aren't. Now what human culture could possibly fit that? None? Huh.

This doesn't appear to be working too well. Maybe it's because these aren't planets of hats, and their cultures are too complex to be covered by referencing a human culture known for a single trait of theirs? It's starting to look that way.

Seriously, this is a bad idea for a cheap writer too lazy to make anything unique. Basing them off a human culture cheapens them, removes any point of complex or developed characters, prevents you from expanding or developing them and dehumanizes both them and the culture in question. It turns them into one big stereotype, and that is good for nothing and nobody. Small cultural references and inspirations are alright, but outright basing them, even just in appearance, off of a real-world culture is stupid. Especially basing them off it "as much as possible."

So how can this be done right? There's definitely a way, because it has been done. Let's go ahead and see this trope done right.

Halo. There we find this done right all over the damn place, but let's look at one examples: Sanghieli.

The sanghieli have inspirations in for the military castes of feudal Japan. They are honour-bound warriors with a respect for their enemies and known to welcome their enemies into their ranks. Their aristocrats, and only their aristocrats, wield swords in battle, and cannot wed but can take any mate they choose. They have a heavy emphasis on honour and skill in battle, are strongly loyal to their kin, believe that death in battle is honourable and have been known to commit ritual suicide to preserve their honour rather than be captured.

What makes it alright to use human cultural references to add to the character of your fictional culture? What makes this constructive, rather than destructive? Moderation. Basing single aspects of them off another culture is fine, but basing them entirely off of one, or "as much as possible", is a problem. Sanghieli have a lot of references to feudal Japan, but they have enough truly unique traits and other influences to make it come across as just a part of what they are instead of everything there is to them. Their appearance is unique and different, their culture has other aspects and their society is structured differently. They don't come off as a walking stereotype like the factions of Starcraft, they are actually alien.

Now let's try some moderation, here. Try drawing from a larger pool and adding unique traits. Thankfully, I've already done this for one faction: the kokome.

Kokome are descendants of humanity, (I know it's weird to say that with a game that takes place in 1985) who have spent decades under simini rule. Finally free of the simini and seeking to create their own culture, they turned to the history of the three locations most of their ancestors they were abducted from: Japan, Germany and Mexico. They also retain many influences from the Simini and the natives of Kakara. Now that the coalition is present, they're gaining ferroningen and andhieli traits as well.

Kokome speak a language called "Katahmah", which comes from a Zolaisn (Kakaran native) word meaning "of all those here", which uses Japanese grammatical structure with Japanese, German, Spanish, Nahuatl (Aztec), Canabi (Simini) and Zolaisn vocabulary. As of the present, they are beginning to incorporate ferroningen and andhieli words. This language varies heavily in vocabularly, slang and syntax depending on region. For instance, on Kakara I ferroningen influence is very strong, so ferroningen contractions are used. These compounds combine the key words in a common phrases together for the sake of brevity, and often extend to as many as six or seven words. Entire sentences become contractions, which serve the same purpose as idioms.

Kokome clothing varies by region, but the most common are imperial uniforms. Their uniform is a simini-style tunic (just short of the knee, sleeves just short of the elbow) without the folded collar, simini-style boots (almost knee high, buckled instead of laced, built to prevent chafing without a sock) designed for human feet and simini-style gloves (almost elbow length, fingerless, small zipper on the inside to ease removal while keeping them secure) designed for human hands. Hole in the back of the tunic for the kokome to fit their tail through, which was not previously present because the Simini amputate their tails. (No reason why. Just like there's no reason why humans remove their foreskins.)

The tunic has a belt around the waist with mounts for other objects, such as scabbards, holsters and satchels. No undergarments, although some kokome wear stockings on the outer planets, and some even go so far as including a full, simini-style jumpsuit underneath. If headgear is worn, they wear a shortened simini headress that only extends down the back of their head and does not cover their neck. (Simini headresses are a cloth attached to a headband, with buttons near the bottom of each side, with holes for the ears. It is draped over the back of the head, with the two sides fastening in the front and the bottom tucked into their collar.) Kokome clothing is strong and protective, usually made of tough materials such as leather or carbon fibre, with softer inner layers to prevent chafing. Regular kokome clothing has been known to halt shrapnel and even small arms fire, which is overkill for its typical purposes.

Kokome formal attire varies by planet. On Kakara I, they wear thin, lightweight robe with a cloak, cowl and face mask. This outfit designates them as imperial nobility, breathes very well in the hot environment and protects them from the sand, and the kokome usually goes nude when formal or protective attire is not required. (It's a practical thing, their planet gets HOT.) On kakara II, they wear an overcoat extending down to the knees, over either more common clothing, a light robe, or nothing. This overcoat is lightweight and cool, and is easily removed to allow for lighter (or no) attire when it is not required. On kakara III, where fashion is a bigger deal, it's hard to pick a most common wear although the clothing they use is all traditional Japanese. The most formal would be a kimono, but otherwise outfits such as a haori and hakama. On kakara IV, full simini-style outfits with a full simini headress underneath a heavy duster are preferred, because that planet is just too cold for light clothing. All of these are generally made of softer, more expensive, but no less protective materials and are designed to be comfortable and practical. All of these are also usually "simini blood" blue.

Kokome armour also varies by region, but the most common light armour is Imperial armour. Imperial armour fits over the top of an imperial uniform, clasping directly to the boots, gauntlets and tunic, and has seperate knee and elbow guards. Their most common medium armour is similar to the medium armour worn by ashigaru and samurai in feudal Japan and is often worn with a simple suji or zunari kabuto, (no mengu) with the next most common being more western-style light plate over chain, in term over fabric. (Plate cuirass, knee and elbow pads, boots and gauntlets, chain underlined with fabric over the rest.) This is worn with a gefechtshelm, also usually metal over fabric. Their most common heavy armour is western-style heavy lamillar armour, with large horizontal bands of metal and plastic, with removable ceramic plates sometimes being fixed to the top. Their helmet there is a heavy, western full-helm with a transparent visor rather than a slotted one and less impractical embellishments than normally found on western mail. The next most common heavy armour is a heavier version of the Japanese medium lamellar made out of metal and plastic bands with removable ceramic plates. These come with an eboshi kabuto and a mengu-style facemask that (unlike an actual mengu) is part of the helmet and has transparent eye pieces and a filter over the mouth instead of holes. All of these historically-insprired armours have modern features, and are often smaller in size, closer to the body and overall more flexible with less embellishment than the armours they evolved from. These fit tightly and are altered to be more practical instead of stylish.

Kokome culture is based heavily around fairness and personal merit, as after decades under simini rule they've learned their lesson about class divides. Their government is meritocratic, they NEVER charge for education, private schools are illegal (there are cyberschools, but those are run by the government) and most children live on their own near their parents, rather than with their parents, and earn their own living. Basic housing, at least somewhat edible food and most health care is provided free, (sometimes there's a co-pay instead to prevent abuse) taxes rise sharply with income (from a low starting point) and there isn't as large of an income gap between positions due to a high minimum wage and low cost of living. While there is still a class divide, it is smaller than in any other capitalistic society in existence, by a HUGE margin. This is intended to help level the playing field and make success be dependent on merit, rather than wealth. There is no support for those with little ability, but there are enough roles in society and enough options throughout education to make up for a weakness (no matter how large) in one area with just an equal strength in another area.

Kokome have no special laws regarding any particular species, subspecies, breed, sex, age or religion, and judge everybody purely by their own personal merit. They also don't allow you to use your species, subspecies, breed, sex, age or religion as an excuse for a lack of merit. If any of these things make you poor at something, you WILL be mocked for your failure regardless. Don't like it? Either figure it out or give up. For them, success is about finding something you have talent with and getting better at it. You will not be successful if you aren't talented at what you want to do. You can make a living doing almost anything if you're good enough at it, no matter what that may be. The kokome themselves are physically and mentally strong, and their distribution of talent is more extreme, meaning that at some things they are phenomenal and at other things they totally suck. (In-game, this means their tag skills and dump skills have more effect.) They tend to be drawn to fields that are demanding physically or mentally, especially those that take a lot of skill. Militarily, they tend towards weapons and vehicles that require a great deal of skill and either physical or mental ability, and usually wear light or medium armour, only rarely heavy armour or clothing.

Now take a second, there ARE a number of real-world inspirations for their culture beyond just the clothing. See if you can spot any of them. No? That's a good thing. Any inspiration should be subtle and moderate. It gives them a much more unique feel, which is something you want in a fictional culture.

Very extensive work there, Jeremy.

But I think you misunderstood Cablefish a bit. It wasn't about copying some historical styles. I think he meant that you should study existing examples of alien races / human cultures that portray various aspects. Like how does one convey words like "arrogant", "noble", "pragmatic" audio-visually in general. Certain shades of colors or musical styles lead to certain assumptions by the viewer. I would have tried to answer in similar way myself, maybe we got your question wrong.

I'm fairly certain Cablefish didn't understand my intent, rather than me not understanding Cablefish's response. In hindsight, I probably could have worded my question better.

I personally find the alien races you've created a bit one-dimensional and extreme. Seems like you wanted to make all of them different from humans but they don't seem so different from each other? Cold and machine-like thinking lacking the softer side altogether.

No. While bahaar are unquestioningly obedient, they aren't cold or emotionless at all. They're like a dog, they jump right to master's orders without a second thought, but they do it because of their emotional attachment to their master. Simini are possibly the most emotionally-driven race present, save the andhieli which I didn't describe, which is implied by me saying they are arrogant and prone to tunnel vision. Arrogance is an irrational emotional construct, as is tunnel vision. Their extreme phobia of their ocean (and anything resembling it) is also an irrational emotional construct. The only "cold, emotionless" species would be the ferroningen, and it's an act. While ferroningen are amoral in nature, they are still emotional and simply seek to hide it and cover it up, usually holding them in until they explode. (Not literally, of course, although literal explosions may be involved if they go postal.)

On the other hand you didn't try to describe kokome in short summary of their ideals. Rather you write many chapters about how they have various kinds of x and y without extremities. Why is that?

Different context within the post.

Because I was starting to wonder if you can really make such a rule for the alien races consisting of billions of individuals? All kinds of humans exist and even small nations or counties aren't homogeneous in morale, social values and nature. Every day people fall victim to stereotypes and misconceptions so on the other hand I would like to see some sci-fi handle alien nations a bit more in-depth. Maybe that was your intention and it was just misrepresented due to the different motives in that post.

If I were to say, for instance, "men tend to be strong, women tend to be flexible", would that mean that the sexes were homogeneous in their physicality? Would it mean that men were always stronger than women, and women always more flexible then men? No. All it would mean was that men have greater strength then women on average, and women greater flexibility than men on average. Same concept here. If I say simini tend to be arrogant, does that mean all simini are? Or does it mean that, on average, simini tend to be more arrogant than the accepted baseline?

Well, good luck with your project anway. You've done lots of writing and you'll have immense amount of work ahead of you when you turn that novel into a game

"Novel?"

As for the game, I've got the concept up here in the game design section. It's also not the game I'm going to be working on first, it's just a creative exercise at the moment. I'm probably going to do it later on, as I don't like wasting good game ideas.

Maybe we both misunderstood elements of each others points. However it looks like you have a lot of lore design going for you. At least in your head you seem to know a lot about the cultures you're designing. What i failed to realize from your original post was how much the problem was communication or conveying. How to communicate the lore information from your head to the players who're going to be playing the game.

If i we're you, i'd start writing a library/document with information on all the species. The post you wrote as a reply to me could be a start. Something tells me you've might have already done this.

Why yes, that thing would be the original post that mentioned the database directly. It's not accessible during normal play, but can be found easily from the menu outside of matches and from the portable command console leaders carry and especially the stationary command console commanders work from.

Then i'd start organising the gameplay elements. Think a chart describing all the possible objects of impression or interaction the players will face. Will the species have special attacks or skills? Will there be loot or unique inventory items? This will enable you to start figuring out names and design for various text pieces of equipments and weapons.

Simini have a variety ranging from poison claws to energy projection. (Simini are naturally "squishy wizards" and their emphasis on defensive tech works well with this.) Andhieli have four arms and four legs, and move completely differently from the others. (And, of course, their ability to wield twice as many weapons helps to some extent.) Ferroningen are covered in natural weapons. (A sickle-blade on the end of their tails, toe claws, hard pointed finger tips and spikes lining their backs. They also have crocodile jaws, but don't bite in normal combat.) Bahaar don't bleed, feel pain or get fatigued by injuries unless they hit vitals. (or for the former, if a major blood vessel is struck) Kokome regenerate, advance faster than other species and have a list of traits to choose from that benefit them. (Things like "determinator", which reduces penalties by an amount proportionate to their resolve.)

Maybe the Simini light handguns we're used to subdue unruly slaves or 'savages' and could be called a "Light Pacifier" for that reason?

There will be no stunlocking abilities in this game.

Remember Baldurs Gate? You could actually right click and read background information on every single gemstone in the game and read about their cultural significance and so on.

Uh, no. I never played Baldur's Gate. I have played a lot of games with extensive item descriptions and/or databases, however.

We might however need some more information about the kind of game you're creating before we can start guessing towards the means of communication will be at your disposal.

Have a link.

Let me guess: "tl;dr".

Why do you put such a big importance on the cultures of the factions ?

This is a question that doesn't need to be asked.

I would underline their strengths and a bit of their weaknesses, especially for a multiplayer-game.

(an offensive faction having more tough talk when you click on them, scars and powerfull symbols,

Except that their cultures are radically different from that. Bahaar are one of the two offensive factions. They are strictly regimented and very stoic. Their comments are quick, direct and to the point. ("Orders, sir?", "Yes, sir.", "Taking fire, sir!") They also do not say anything most of the time they are selected. They're also furry, so if they were scarred you probably wouldn't know. They don't use any symbols or markings, because for them these are to symbolise which house they are under the direct command of, and in this case they are not under direct command. Andhieli are the other, and they're the polar opposite. They're juvenile, excitable, undisciplined, eager and trigger-happy. (VERY trigger-happy. Expect them to shoot a lot of nothing they're supposed to.) They move around a lot, even when idle, and often detour or deviate from your expressed commands. They're also snide and disrespectful. ("Oh, no, I wasn't busy or anything.", "Alright, not like I've got much to live for anyway." "Hey! If you're not too busy connecting with your tac officer, we could use some help!")

a more defensive faction having all carrying their symbol of the hospital(have it being a red cross to make the player understand it faster)

more whispering and talk about planning)

I'd rather not do something that will make the players assume the setting's primary antagonists to be the good guys. I'd also rather not associate the red cross with anything the simini do. Further, simini are arrogant, snobbish, xenophobic and conceited. Rather than whispering, they speak loudly and clearly. Rather than talking about planning, they dismiss their opponents. ("And you need, sir?", "Let's see what those stupid monkeys think of this!", "That better not have left a dent, monkey!") Their nobles are more polite, but are also much more arrogant. ("What is it you require of me?", "They shall not be able to stop us.", "Oh my, they seem to have chipped the paint.")