New Playable Species: Cel Cawdro's Comprehensive Guided Community Discussion

[Edzew]

Q1: Are you willing to tolerate armour clipping with the exotic biology of some species?

seeing as how we have clipping with humans i really dont care if there is clipping with a new exotic species!!

 

Q2: Are non-human faces an issue for you, particularly in cutscenes?

nope! not at all... not even sure why it would

 

Q3: Would you be willing to listen to a non-Basic speaking species?

it depends... knowing how lazy bioware is with non basic languages (i.e. repeating the same lil 2 second phrase over and over and over and over and over again) i would prolly have to say no... BUT if they actually took the time and did a lil work for once and did it well then yes i would have no problem with non basic speach.

 

Q4: Would you like to see gameplay options available to unlock new species?

only if they are non human looking!!! i am so sick and tired of all the species looking the same... different colored humans some with lil horns and some with long head tails but still for the most part Human looking... so freakin boring!!!! also kinda misread this one the first time around, no i don't want to see something in place in order for me to play this new species!!! i want to either buy it or just have it available for free!

 

Q5: How important is it to you that a new species in tied in to setting and story?

misread this the first time around... i really don't care if its tied into the setting and story just give me a damn new species already....preferably Kel Dor but ill take Wookiee, Ithorian, or a Trandoshan

 

Q6: Would you be open to species that cannot utilize either some or any existing armor, visually?

a lot if not most of the existing armor sucks anyways so what do i care if i cant see that crap??? not to mention it would be a hell of a lot easier to gear my toon.. not to mention cheap as heck!! jump on the GTN and get the cheapest and ugliest gear possible!!! BAM!!!

Edited October 11, 2014 by Edzew

[Damask_Rose]

[*]Q1: Are you willing to tolerate armour clipping with the exotic biology of some species?

 

Yes. I already up up with it with Twi'leks, long hair and half of my armor.

 

[*]Q2: Are non-human faces an issue for you, particularly in cutscenes?

 

For the most part, no. There are some I wouldn't do any romances with, but I already have enough alts that that isn't a problem. A few are just too ugly, like the Kitonak.

 

[*]Q3: Would you be willing to listen to a non-Basic speaking species?

 

Yes. I'm a fast reader, so I'd be space baring through most of it.

 

[*]Q4: Would you like to see gameplay options available to unlock new species?

 

I think that could be tremendous fun!

 

[*]Q5: How important is it to you that a new species in tied in to setting and story?

 

Very low importance. I'm quite good at suspending disbelief.

 

[*]Q6: Would you be open to species that cannot utilize either some or any existing armour, visually?

 

If it's small pieces, I wouldn't mind at all. For chest and legs, if they had a number of options, I'd be OK with it.

 

As a little aside, I just want to mention how much I love the bodies our companions finally got! I love putting them in skimpy armor to show off just how alien they are I also love pureblood ridges, so I like to show those off too. I wish we had more species specific bodies for the rest of the species as well!

[VdFExarKun]

The Initial Six (and a Half) Discussion Points

• Q1: Are you willing to tolerate armour clipping with the exotic biology of some species?
   
  
• Q2: Are non-human faces an issue for you, particularly in cutscenes?
   
  
• Q3: Would you be willing to listen to a non-Basic speaking species?
   
  
• Q4: Would you like to see gameplay options available to unlock new species?
   
  
• Q5: How important is it to you that a new species in tied in to setting and story?
   
  
• Q6: Would you be open to species that cannot utilize either some or any existing armour, visually?
  

 

A1: Yes if it's not too extreme.

A2: Not at all.

A3: Already do in a lot of cutscenes and there is more than one companion that doesn't speak basic with you.

A4: Maybe.

A5: Not that important. Important is to have it ingame as a playable species.

A6: Well if we're talking about head gear then it is not a big issue for me but if we're talking about any or every other slot then yes. I really dislike the Mon Cal healer on my Gunslinger that his hands are always showing. But then again, it's a Mon Cal, they got hands like that.

[Kepal]

The Initial Six (and a Half) Discussion Points

• Q1: Are you willing to tolerate armour clipping with the exotic biology of some species?
   
  
• Q2: Are non-human faces an issue for you, particularly in cutscenes?
   
  
• Q3: Would you be willing to listen to a non-Basic speaking species?
   
  
• Q4: Would you like to see gameplay options available to unlock new species?
   
  
• Q5: How important is it to you that a new species in tied in to setting and story?
   
  
• Q6: Would you be open to species that cannot utilize either some or any existing armour, visually?
  

 

Q1: Are you willing to tolerate armour clipping with the exotic biology of some species?

As someone who frequents a Twi'lek character, I can handle clipping (so long as it's on par with the current situation with the Twi'leks). However, anything beyond that, I can understand if it's a horrible problem on the development side of things.

 

Q2: Are non-human faces an issue for you, particularly in cutscenes?

Absolutely not. I'm playing a game set within a science fiction (fantasy, really) universe; I want to see stuff that's weird and that's different. I've often heard the romances (and the related cutscenes) brought up as obstacles to aliens and quite frankly, I find it ridiculous. I would certainly think that most schmucks (in this case, our characters) running around the galaxy have pretty open minds when it comes to various topics - except the Imperials, I suppose (though I would point out the varied and colorful band of misfits that currently reside upon the Agent's ship).

 

Simply put: I'm pretty sure if you dig deep enough into the Star Wars universe, you'll find a human (and most certainly a Twi'lek) willing to get their freak on with a member of a different species, be it a Bith, Bothan, Devaronian, Duros, Kel Dor, Mon Calamari, Nemoidian, Nikto, Rodian, Selkath, Sullustan, or even a Trandoshan (and those are just some of the species currently represented in-game by NPCs).

 

You guys catered to the folks interested in same-gender romances, let's get some love for the lovers of the fish-people.

 

Q3: Would you be willing to listen to a non-Basic speaking species?

A non-issue, I feel. My reasoning: While a fair amount of the existing species out there would have no problem speaking basic, yes, there are an equal number that are unlikely or unable to wrap their tongue(s) around the language; however, there exists a device within the universe (in various forms, I might add) that can solve this problem! Two words, people: UNIVERSAL TRANSLATORS.

 

Voice modulation already exists with headgear, re-purpose it (armchair programmer skills right there) to serve the in-game representation of the translator unit (it ain't just for droids, folks); players get to keep listening to the voice acting so vital to their story experience, avoid listening to a 60-second huttese sound clip on infinite repeat, and we get to see our characters as something that isn't just a human with horns and/or facepaint.

 

I would also like to take the time to point out that I would pay copious amounts of money for a set of armor that included a functional copy of C2-D4's talking severed head. (Please?)

 

Q4: Would you like to see gameplay options available to unlock new species?

Quite frankly, I would have no problem whatsoever if new species were simply introduced to the cartel market (periodically), without any sort of connection to their in-game/story counterparts. That said, I will concede that it would be interesting to see species unlocks be woven into related content (Voss via completion of the Voss storylines, Rishii via the upcoming content upon Rishi).

 

All said and done, I would simply be happy with new species, regardless of the method(s) required to obtain/unlock them.

 

Q5: How important is it to you that a new species in tied in to setting and story?

Seeing as the current legacy system doesn't account for slight hiccups involving non-standard species, (example: Chiss Smuggler, Pureblood Jedi), I don't really care. The thought of it being somehow incorporated would be nice, but barring some sort of extreme example, I don't see it being an enormous issue/requirement for introducing a new species.

 

Q6: Would you be open to species that cannot utilize either some or any existing armour, visually?

Of course. Star Wars Galaxies immediately comes to mind here (and while I feel that this is a low-blow, I would note that they managed to release TWO new species within the first 1.5 years of that title's life-cycle). I didn't care if my Trandoshan couldn't wear boots or gloves, I was running around as Godzilla's blaster-wielding little cousin - IN SPACE. I didn't care that my Ithorian had to shop for different clothes/armor, I had a massive hammerhead and did space-karate. I didn't care if the armor looked 100% awesome (though it was nice when that worked out), I cared about MY CHARACTER looking both awesome and unique; their gear changed, they themselves did not (at least in the looks department).

 

This "issue" is already prevalent with the Twi'leks when it comes to headgear (and hands/boots for certain companions), and while annoying at times (I want hoods, dang it), it's far from game-breaking.

 

When it all boils down, you could argue that most armor/outfits don't end up being unique (the cartel market introduces a thousand <insert story character here> clones with each new release); people copy each other's outfits, copy the looks of NPCs/story characters; and while, yes, plenty of people come up with new, creative looks every week, what universally remains unique, are the characters themselves.

 

Another way to put it: I've never seen another person come close to mimicking my agent's face, something I've cherished since his creation; take that idea and run with it. The more choices/options you give to your players, the happier they are (usually, I know MMO players are a particularly volatile breed of gamer). Inject the game with as many species/character customization options as you possibly can, make it so that no two characters can feasibly be identical (unless done intentionally); do this, and you'll find yourself with a legion of happy customers.

 

Always remember, especially with gaming: customization is king.

[CelCawdro]

Again, very interesting how most people are open to pretty much anything, now. A lot of pre-launch discussion was pretty rigidly against anything more extreme than a Zabrak. Sure, there were always a few that claimed they wanted to play a Jawa or a Wookiee or other such extremes, but rarely were they serious about it.

 

Something interesting that came up in those discussions that I haven't seen much mention of recently was the addition of a new class in order to justify certain extreme choices. For example, it might not make sense to swap in that Gamorrean into the Sith Warrior storyline, but if it was a new storyline conceptualized around the tendency for Sith to use being of unusual power as a "secret weapon" such as Grievous and the Massassi? Alternately, Jedi have been known to seek individuals with unique talents such as battle meditation... what if the key to winning the war was found in an odd species such as an Ithorian, and his story revolved around whether or not the Jedi were simply using him as a tool? Getting somewhat off-topic, but the answers here just reminded me of that, heh. It gets a little muddier with the Cartel Market in place, as the ability to access new species so freely would render that somewhat moot.

 

Anyway, there have been rumblings of Togruta being the next playable race from a certain source who was at the most recent cantina, but I find it very odd that this source would be coy with such a potential bombshell. That being said, it would be a little humbling if it proved true, and if I actually played a role in organizing the feedback BioWare used to make that decision.

[Oyranos]

i want a dynamic, humorous, elegant race to be added, not that ugly race... why people tempt to like reptiles, and terra morphed ones? Edited October 11, 2014 by Oyranos

[Talahar]

The Initial Six (and a Half) Discussion Points

• Q1: Are you willing to tolerate armour clipping with the exotic biology of some species?
   
  
• Q2: Are non-human faces an issue for you, particularly in cutscenes?
   
  
• Q3: Would you be willing to listen to a non-Basic speaking species?
   
  
• Q4: Would you like to see gameplay options available to unlock new species?
   
  
• Q5: How important is it to you that a new species in tied in to setting and story?
   
  
• Q6: Would you be open to species that cannot utilize either some or any existing armour, visually?
  

 

Q1: I'm perfectly fine with clipping, as my first main character was a Twi'lek Sith Sorcerer.

What I'm not fine with is the disappearance of headbits while wearing certain clothes,

e.g.: disappeaing lekku while wearing sith masks. With those, clip-through lekku would have been

perfectly fine, since Twi'lek also don't get hoods. On the other hand, lekku clip through certain trooper helmets.

The logic there is baffling to me.

 

Q2: Non-human faces wouldn't be an issue for me. One of the species I'd like to see are the Kel'Dor,

and their faces are less human. So there.

 

Q3: No. I couldn't stand the constant alien babbling for hours on end. Established basic VO only, please.

 

Q4: Wouldn't mind gameplay options to unlock species, but I'd probably prefer the cartel market way.

 

Q5: Would be nice, but I see the limitations. Species specific dialogue wasn't an option when the legacy

unlocks came in, so I don't really see it coming with new playable species. Beyond that, the species'

options should adhere to established lore: no sith/jedi for a non-force-sensitive species, and such like.

Or no species from planets yet to be discovered *eyes Treek suspiciously, but acknowledges her backstory*

 

Q6: I'd be fine with this, again within reason: Mon Cal or Trandoshan with no gloves and boots, would be okay,

but the way Khem Val or Bowdaar is handled would be overkill, in my opinion.

[CelCawdro]

i want a dynamic, humorous, elegant race to be added, not that ugly race... why people tempt to like reptiles, and terra morphed ones?

 

All I could think of with your initial description was a certain Gungan senator.

[Solloby]

I bought some Star Wars Xbox games yesterday, and there's a Jedi Togruta named Shaak Ti who wears her headtails behind her: http://www.jeditemplearchives.com/galleries/2010/Review_ShaakTiForceUnleashed/Review_ShaakTiForceUnleashed_stillK.jpg

 

I think if they made this an option for Togruta, it could minimise clipping issues for the people that it bothers. Or would people be unhappy that they don't sit the same way a traditional Togruta might have them? Just some food for thought.

[LyraineAlei]

I bought some Star Wars Xbox games yesterday, and there's a Jedi Togruta named Shaak Ti who wears her headtails behind her: http://www.jeditemplearchives.com/galleries/2010/Review_ShaakTiForceUnleashed/Review_ShaakTiForceUnleashed_stillK.jpg

 

I think if they made this an option for Togruta, it could minimise clipping issues for the people that it bothers. Or would people be unhappy that they don't sit the same way a traditional Togruta might have them? Just some food for thought.

 

I forgot Shaak To had her Lekku behind her in Force Unleashed. In the movies and TCW, she always had them over her shoulder. I wouldn't mind if the TOR Togruta wore theirs like she does, personally.

[PredatorZeroAAAA]

Q1: Are you willing to tolerate armour clipping with the exotic biology of some species?

Some clipping is acceptable, particularly with the helmet.

Q2: Are non-human faces an issue for you, particularly in cutscenes?

Absolutely not. A face does NOT have to look human or near-human for me to identify with it. In fact, when all the races look too close to human, that is a big pet peeve for me in MMORPG's. In WoW, I play a Worgen (Werewolf race), and it does not negatively impact my ability to identify with my character at all.

Q3: Would you be willing to listen to a non-Basic speaking species?

No. They would have to speak Basic.

Q4: Would you like to see gameplay options available to unlock new species?

Sure, why not?

Q5: How important is it to you that a new species in tied in to setting and story?

Moderate. I'd like to see story tie-in, but it's not a complete make-or-break for me.

Q6: Would you be open to species that cannot utilize either some or any existing armour, visually?

Depends on the severity. If there are a few minor cuts, like how boots only affect the ankles for Trolls and Worgen in WoW, I'd be fine with that.

 

My main problem with BW's post is that it implies that the player character has to look human or near-human in order for the player to identify with him/her, which is just plain stupid. If you look at major non-BW properties, you can see plenty of examples. In WoW, there are plenty of completely non-human looking races, such as Trolls, Tauren, Worgen, and Pandaren. In Skyrim (And other Elder Scrolls games), you can roll a Khajit or an Argonian. In WildStar, you can roll Mordesh, Draken, or Chua. Players are able to identify with these races with no trouble. That said, all those races listed above are able to speak English (Basic). IMO, that is far more important that looking like a human or near-human.

Edited October 12, 2014 by PredatorZeroAAAA

[CelCawdro]

Predator, you read my mind. I was just about to add the question, "Using your favourite species as an example (from Star Wars or another universe), can you describe what attributes and aspects of that species you relate to?"

[VanguVegro]

•Q1: Are you willing to tolerate armour clipping with the exotic biology of some species?

 

Sure, if it wasn't too noticeable.

 

•Q2: Are non-human faces an issue for you, particularly in cutscenes?

 

Not really. Helmets are even less expressive than most non-human faces, and no one thinks they're problematic, right?

 

•Q3: Would you be willing to listen to a non-Basic speaking species?

 

I can usually read the conversations faster than the VAs can say them, so I tend to spacebar through them. Speaking non-Basic wouldn't make a whole lot of difference to me.

 

•Q4: Would you like to see gameplay options available to unlock new species?

 

I'd much prefer that to a Cartel Market-only unlock. More options are always good.

 

•Q5: How important is it to you that a new species in tied in to setting and story?

 

That would be preferable, but not a deal-breaker.

 

•Q6: Would you be open to species that cannot utilize either some or any existing armour, visually?

 

I'm fine with some of the companions not showing some of their gear, and I'd be fine with it for my own character, too. But when you get to Khem Val territory where none of the gear shows, I wouldn't like that.

[DomiSotto]

Something interesting that came up in those discussions that I haven't seen much mention of recently was the addition of a new class in order to justify certain extreme choices. For example, it might not make sense to swap in that Gamorrean into the Sith Warrior storyline, but if it was a new storyline conceptualized around the tendency for Sith to use being of unusual power as a "secret weapon" such as Grievous and the Massassi? Alternately, Jedi have been known to seek individuals with unique talents such as battle meditation... what if the key to winning the war was found in an odd species such as an Ithorian, and his story revolved around whether or not the Jedi were simply using him as a tool?

 

BioWare did it in the Dragon Age, where being a Magi was a separate origin story as opposite to the rest of the origin stories being split by race.

 

I will strongly oppose that on the grounds that it is only possible to produce at the expense of developing more of the 8 main classes class-specific content and it is too restrictive, reminiscent of the old adventure games where the protagonist was set in stone, and you could do nothing about its name, gender or appearances.

 

"Using your favourite species as an example (from Star Wars or another universe), can you describe what attributes and aspects of that species you relate to?"

 

In Star Wars I like Twi'leks and Nautolans. They are extremely attractive, but look exotic enough to be different from a vanilla human ('cause I have enough humans on this planet).

 

With Twi'leks I like that it's a displaced species, with stereotypes attached to them. So, playing a female Captain is great and hitting everyone in the face with a blaster who dares to hint at the dancing girls is one of the joys of the SWTOR. Playing a noble and honorable Twi'lek as a Jedi will also be a hoot...

 

I also like being able to match the race of my romantic interest, and so far I could only do it with Vette and a male Warrior, and Numen Brock for my Smuggler. That's one of the reasons I would like to be able to customize my companion's race.

Edited October 12, 2014 by DomiSotto

[Damask_Rose]

Predator, you read my mind. I was just about to add the question, "Using your favourite species as an example (from Star Wars or another universe), can you describe what attributes and aspects of that species you relate to?"

 

I loved playing a Tumerok in Asheron's Call 2. Unfortunately the things I liked wouldn't translate into this game.

 

I liked having a distinct body type and animations. Yay for swishing tail! I also very much appreciated not having mammary glands on a lizard! Other than a couple of NPCs in SWtOR every species uses the exact same body models, so every female has *****, despite how biologically unlikely they would be.

 

Every species had very distinct classes, the Tumeroks were very tribal. We'd be lucky to get some new animations in this game, clearly we'd never get a whole new class just for a new species.

 

Sarkan would come closest I think. Ninja lizards!

[CelCawdro]

I should, perhaps, phrase Q7 a little more clearly. Those are more akin gameplay preferences than personal identifiers. For example, I might identify with Twi'lek not because I I enjoy the lekku, but because of their history as a species of slaves - I may often feel trapped by my job or other life circumstances, so playing as a member of a slave species that has broken free adds to the escapism of the game. Kel Dor, on the other hand, are a very decisive and spiritual species, two traits that I would also attribute to myself. It's not their biology that appeals to me most (even if I do like the unique aesthetics), but there are other things that allow me, as a player, to identify with them as a species.

 

This is a question in response to the assertion that players cannot relate to the species more extreme than the near-humans we have access to. Personally, I can identify with many of those exotic species much more than what is available currently.

[LyraineAlei]

Q7: Using your favourite species as an example (from Star Wars or another universe), can you describe what attributes and aspects of that species that you personally relate to?

 

I get "into" character, so when playing, even if I have never personally gone through anything remotely similar to the lore, I can still find myself able to get into character. With the not-remotely-human faces, I have a hard time figuring out expressions, so that would be why I say "Humanoid and near-human."

 

Personally, to reiterate, if I know the lore, I can work with it. We're given enough of the lore history of the races we can play as right now on the Character Creation page, so adding more races with similar blurbs is enough for me.

[CelCawdro]

In that case, let me pose this question to you: if you were looking for some very specific personality traits, would you enjoy having access to a species that absolutely personifies those traits?

[carlbaratta]

Q1: Are you willing to tolerate armour clipping with the exotic biology of some species?

I hate armor clipping, it drives me nuts so no. Please no.

Q2: Are non-human faces an issue for you, particularly in cutscenes?

No any face will do, that's the fun of SW! Crazy faces!

Q3: Would you be willing to listen to a non-Basic speaking species?

No. If you ever watched the first 15 minutes of SW Holiday Special with growling Wookies and nothing else you'd see why I'm emotionally scarred.

Q4: Would you like to see gameplay options available to unlock new species?

Sure! More in game stuff the better!

Q5: How important is it to you that a new species in tied in to setting and story?

I'm flex.

Q6: Would you be open to species that cannot utilize either some or any existing armour, visually?

Yes if that makes clipping a non-issue then that is one solution for sure.

Q7: Using your favourite species as an example (from Star Wars or another universe), can you describe what attributes and aspects of that species that you personally relate to?

I don't have a favorite and the stranger the creature the better...... The more variation the better because that's more like actual Star Wars. I just hate clipping! It makes me cry so much I end up dehydrating myself and cry sand.

[CelCawdro]

What if there are specific armour choices that avoid clipping that you could choose? Twi'lek, for example, have a lot of problematic issues, but with a little searching, you can find someone that avoids the issue.

[LyraineAlei]

In that case, let me pose this question to you: if you were looking for some very specific personality traits, would you enjoy having access to a species that absolutely personifies those traits?

 

Yes. I greatly enjoy having the little blurb in the character creation page that describes the common perception of the specie, and the general history. I read that Cathar are often proud, stubborn, and very warrior-like, but forced to live a semi-nomadic life because of the Mandalorian Wars centuries ago, and how often I have seen them running around with "Cathar Settler/Refugee" overhead.

 

I have a Cathar Trooper who I plays as a country girl who fights for the Republic who gave her people as well as her family, a home to live on.

 

I also have a Cathar Smuggler who protects those he likes and happily blasts the people he doesn't like in the face. He held quite a grudge against Skavak. However, he doesn't see the Republic in the same light as the Trooper, and while hating the Empire, he doesn't willingly work with the Republic for cheap.

 

I like having the lore to work out how a character will be.

[DomiSotto]

In that case, let me pose this question to you: if you were looking for some very specific personality traits, would you enjoy having access to a species that absolutely personifies those traits?

 

The game doesn't account for it in the dialogue, so it almost feels like a let down. Love the Miraluka or Mirialian that are supposed to be highly spiritual and cryptic. But the dialogue will still be vanilla. My character will not be speaking like Visas Marr. It is a disconnect. That disconnect for me precludes any desire to play, say, Voss. My Zabracks do not sound any more proud and stubborn than my Twi'leks....

 

So, no, overall, I won't seek out a race because I expect it to embody a personality. It will not come across in the game. I might though work backwards, knowing the dialogues writting in the game, and select the species that work well with it.

 

Heck, that disconnect ruins my enjoyment of Inquisitor as a class, because a former slave doesn't jive with neither the wording, nor delivery of the dialogues.

Edited October 15, 2014 by DomiSotto

[-Blasto-]

Q1: Are you willing to tolerate armour clipping with the exotic biology of some species?

 

- Depends on the severity of the clipping. Twi'Lek level is ok. I have Twi'Lek Bounty Hunter and I found some non clipping armor even outside the Cartel Market.

 

Are non-human faces an issue for you, particularly in cutscenes?

 

- Not sure on this one. In Mass Effect I really liked Turians Quarians and Krogans and I would love a story driven game were you can play as one but as far as Star Wars goes, from the top of my head I can't really think of a species with a non human face I'd like to play. I guess this question is mainly aimed at actual freakish looking Aliens, not "still humanishly" like Neomodian, etc.

 

Q3: Would you be willing to listen to a non-Basic speaking species?

 

No, definetly not.

 

Q4: Would you like to see gameplay options available to unlock new species?

 

Depends on how it's done. If it's do x in game and unlock Species with or without the option to buy it from the CM I think it would be good (kinda like the Legacy Species. If it's buy it on the CM and then do X to unlock...no.

 

Q5: How important is it to you that a new species in tied in to setting and story?

 

It would be a nice to have, but not a must.

 

Q6: Would you be open to species that cannot utilize either some or any existing armour, visually?

 

If it's only gloves/wrists, boots, helmet, I would be cool with it.

 

Q7: Using your favourite species as an example (from Star Wars or another universe), can you describe what attributes and aspects of that species that you personally relate to?

 

I don't know, I don't really have a favourite species in Star Wars or another universe. As mentioned above in Mass Effect I liked Quarians, Turians and Krogans. In that case it has probably a lot to do with the characters through which you get to learn about these Aliens (Tali, Garrus, Wrex)

 

The same goes for Star Wars. I kinda like Cathar and Twi'Lek, probably because Juhani and Mission Vao were among my favourite companions of Kotor. In case of Twi'Leks I also like the many different skin colors that create a nice contrast with armors/clothes.