Why do the Cathar not have tails?

[Slaign]

They cut them off so they don't transform into a giant murderous cat beast when the moon is full.

[Vinjar]

Because they evolved from four legs and needing the tail for balance to two legs and a larger brain.

[DmdShiva]

Cathar don't have tails because the Hero Engine couldn't do it?

 

I don't think it's because the Hero Engine couldn't do it, but because Bioware's art department wouldn't be able to do it without a serious time investment.

 

Give the Cathar tails. First problem is that you either have the tail dangling in a fixed position, or it dangles, moving only in response to the character's movement, or it has an independent movement (i.e., tail flicking back and forth slowly). The first one looks horribly unrealistic, the second requires the art department to model the animation of the tail in response to character movement, and the third requires all the work of the second plus the tail's independent animation. Then, once the art department creates the animation frames, the programming department has to actually write the code for the animation.

 

Then you come to gear. Tails are going to clip with a ton of gear. Capes, the long-robe chest pieces... Having a tail poking through the costume piece looks bad, so the tail movement is going to have to be curtailed depending on the upper-body garment the character wears. More work for the art department. Then you have the lower-body gear; a tail will, by definition, poke through the back of lower-body pieces, unless it's handwaved as being inside -- which sort of works for the lower-body light armor robe pieces, but not for the 'pants' of medium and heavy armor. So the programming department has to modify the rendering engine to account for the different way that tails will be rendered depending on which pieces of lower-body and upper-body gear the character is wearing.

 

All this just to give Cathar tails, when their even having tails is handwaved in canon. Is it surprising that Bioware took the route that means they don't have to devote significant development resources for a cosmetic feature?

[Xaldynn]

They cut them off so they don't transform into a giant murderous cat beast when the moon is full.

 

HAH!

 

I was just gonna blame it on "space logic" like you can blame anything that isnt plausible in Star Wars..

 

But I like your reasoning better lmao

[Talsalus]

More stuff posted in OP. I think the current in-game Cathar models are inaccurate.

[OddballEasyEight]

Something I notice:

 

It seems our current in-game models of the Cathar were modeled after Juhani (click here for pic). The wookieepedia clearly states that Juhani is notably less catlike than mainline Cathar.

 

And that still doesnt matter. Cathar dont have tails. The more feline versions that are part of the comics dont have tails either.

So no matter what subspecies they are, they dont have tails.

[Talsalus]

And that still doesnt matter. Cathar dont have tails. The more feline versions that are part of the comics dont have tails either.

So no matter what subspecies they are, they dont have tails.

 

Yeah, I know :(/

 

But I am pushing the thread past that subject because in my research I noticed how pitiful in-game Cathar look compared to the canonical Cathar.

[Aries_cz]

Cathar don't have tails because the Hero Engine couldn't do it?

 

No, they do not have tails because cathar never did have tails in any official SW-related material

[Philastra]

Here's why:D

 

Cathar embryos have a tail that measures about one-sixth of the size of the embryo itself. As the embryo develops into a fetus, the tail is absorbed by the growing body. The developmental tail is thus a Cathar vestigial structure.

 

Cathar have a "tail bone" attached to the pelvis, formed of fused vertebrae, usually four, at the bottom of the vertebral column. It does not protrude externally.

Edited May 19, 2013 by Philastra

[Volomon]

It seems that the actual canonical Cathar are a lot more catlike than we have in-game.

 

Quote from the Cathar wookieepedia page appearance section:

 

 

 

Something I notice:

 

It seems our current in-game models of the Cathar were modeled after Juhani (click here for pic). The wookieepedia clearly states that Juhani is notably less catlike than mainline Cathar.

 

Our Cathar should look like:

 

Example 1

Example 2

Example 3

Example 4

 

Does anyone else think that the in-gane Cathar are a lot less catlike than they should be?

 

How is bioware suppose to make money if you call them out like this? How are they suppose to throw different colors and patterns on humans and call it a new race? What do you want effort? Come on now...

[Repman]

I don't think it's because the Hero Engine couldn't do it, but because Bioware's art department wouldn't be able to do it without a serious time investment.

 

 

Bless their hearts.

[chuixupu]

More stuff posted in OP. I think the current in-game Cathar models are inaccurate.

 

None of the pictures you posted show Cathar with tails.

[Talsalus]

None of the pictures you posted show Cathar with tails.

 

forget about tails. It will not save my thread title change for some reason.

[chuixupu]

Are we just posting Cathar pictures then?

 

http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m94ezozOaK1qb4mkso1_500.jpg

http://images.elfwood.com/fanq/a/n/anneliese2/jedi_cali.jpg

http://25.media.tumblr.com/1e4200c893b038c6e788a72064dfe428/tumblr_mk2vfnXzfH1r3e7wgo1_500.jpg

http://torsyndicate.com/jao/images/Sylvarspeech_thumb.jpg

 

In the description in your first post, the only thing we can clearly say we don't have in the game is retractable claws, but there's no way that can be incorporated into the game. There have always been a variety of interpretations.

 

And yes, Bioware Cathar are certain based off Juhani, which makes sense.

[Eillack]

Cathar =/= Caitians.

 

Also pretty sure The Holiday Special one didn't have a tail.

Edited May 19, 2013 by Eillack

[AmbrosineN]

An explanation could be the same reason humans don't have tails- Cathar stand upright, eliminating the need for a tail, which four legged mammals usually have for balance.

[UberSamoyed]

An explanation could be the same reason humans don't have tails- Cathar stand upright, eliminating the need for a tail, which four legged mammals usually have for balance.

 

A band of Capuchin Monkey's immediately went into a frenzy and started throwing poo at this comment...

[Nothing_Shines]

People could also be mistaking Cathar for Trianii, which came from Han Solo At Stars' End. They are also cat people but have prehensile tails, claws, the whole bit.

 

If I had my RPG books in front of me, I could probably track down at least two more cat people alien species from SW. Were Togorians one, from the AC Crispin Han Solo Adventures? Those were huge warrior culture cat brutes, I think.

Edited May 31, 2016 by Nothing_Shines

[Jaiddyn]

My personal headcanon is the more catlike 'traditional' Cathars (which I would love to play) DO have tails....they're just very short manx-like bobtails as they no longer need a longer tail for balance, fast turns, etc. due to being bipedal. Said tail doesn't really show in armor/clothing because it's probably only a couple of inches long as best and normally just tucked in there out of the way. Too much trouble to make armor and spacesuits with little tail-pockets.

[YlliyaXor]

That wookiepedia description...retractable claws and fast healing? I thought only wolverinar had fast healing...

 

The name Cathar gives Remans a run for their money as far as uninspired names go.

[HuaRya]

Well the Thundercats didn't have tails. Just wish they could have a 80's Metal Hair band mane like some of the NPC's you run into in the camps of Taris.

[HeatRacer]

They have tails, you just don't see them...because they're retractable into their buttcracks.

[myrdinn]

An explanation could be the same reason humans don't have tails- Cathar stand upright, eliminating the need for a tail, which four legged mammals usually have for balance.

 

Pretty much this.

 

Incidentally, humans do still have tails... but our butt-cheeks are fleshy enough you don't normally see it.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coccyx

[Alec_Fortescue]

Don't need a tail when you're walking prone?

[Transcendent]

What is it with people wanting tails on animal people? You're descended from monkeys! Why don't you have a tail?

 

Well technically, we as humans still have a tailbone. It's just evolution took our tails away from us at some stage. Bone is still there though. Probably the same for the Cathar.