Mass Effect - Creating the Salarians, Batarians

Mass Effect's associate art director Matt Rhodes talks about creating the Salarian and Batarian races.

[@theveyking5442]

"I am the very model of a scientist salarian I study species turian, asari and batarian." "I'm quite good at genetics (as a subset of biology) because I am an expert (which I know is a tautology." "My xenoscience stufies range from urban to agrarian I am the very model of a scientist salarian." Most heartbreaking death in gaming. RIP Mordin

[@thepalelibrarian]

Had to be him, someone else might have gotten it wrong.

[@faltanato6375]

😢😢😢😢😢😠😠😠

[@AnimeShinigami13]

honestly I love Mordin, but I think Thane and Legion could give him a run for his money in terms of deaths that give you the feels.

[@pocketlint60]

"he's missing one of his head... horns" Even Bioware doesn't know what those are XD

[@alexditlof1236]

They used to eat flys

[@El_Presidente_5337]

But the liver tastes good

[@Spiritualspiral13]

We held the Line!

[@pidgeymessengerservice3696]

I always thought the salarians were based off of frogs. They're amphibious, right? Lay eggs? And the legs reminds me of a frogs, long and thin with lots of joint so they can fold up and release like a spring.

[@MadDogReed97]

They are amphibian. Liara says in ME3

[@sarge019l4]

"they used to lick their eyes"

[@Cristina-nb5fo]

Javik: they used to eat flies

[@GothicElf68]

I'm thinking more like a salamander. They are long and thin like the Salarians.

[@NoMaloneUnturned2]

"The batarians for mass effect 2" so we are just all going to forget the dlc bring down the sky?

[@Jonatron101]

I think that was spat out while they were developing ME2, the development would've overlapped for them I expect.

[@NoMaloneUnturned2]

@@Jonatron101 I gotcha makes perfect sense, man I miss mass effect, I'll have to buy it again for my PS3 on payday

[@Your-Least-Favorite-Stranger]

@@NoMaloneUnturned2 remastered collection coming out this year

[@NoMaloneUnturned2]

@@Your-Least-Favorite-Stranger yeah I'm gonna get it when it comes out

[@bruhSaintJohn]

Thr supposed main bad guys from the first game, replaced by a bunch of alien robots

[@rocketman544]

Mordin is the Clint Eastwood Salarian? My respect for him just went, if possible, even higher.

[@lonewolftheblack]

How did I not see it!!! Mordin in alien Clint Eastwood!!!!!!

[@mpalen19]

I love Mordin as a character in Mass Effect. Given that the two ex-CEO's of Bioware are medical doctors, it gives Mordin's role a bit depth and makes Mordin's story line more interesting.

[@Chrinik]

***** Yeah, for all "combat races" they used a "human skeleton" for animation. That meant saving a ton of money and time for animation purposes.

[@alexandresilva3427]

Mass effect 1 was a realy risky project with little funding. They had to make a lot of cuts. Most of ME1's sidequests use the same 3 map designs for the facilities.

[@Chrinik]

The Batarian in Human armor thing makes no sense when you realise they also wear human helmets, and can´t really use two of their eyes. But apparenty, the inside of the helmet is also like a screen, giving much better perception then the little vision slit would imply.

[@douglasaranda2010]

2 years ago you posted this comment, either way, I'd just think about the Recon Hood, they do have enhancements for combat and else

[@reaganoliver956]

The Andromeda helmets would definitely be a better match for them

[@GRZNGT]

Knowing that Matt will be in ME4 team makes me exciting for a game even more.

[@popcornfilms1]

Shame how the designs turned out

[@chapus2009]

He actually didn't work that much for ME4/Andromeda, unfortunately. He's more 'officially' part of the Dragon Age team.

[@Jonatron101]

I think he was more talking about the personality communicated by the typical expressions the Salarians are capable of.

[@ultrajd]

Batarians...the Iranians of outer space.

[@Rinchen8192]

that's a little harsh, on the Batarians.

[@ultrajd]

Rinchen Gonpo True.

[@ProBrosification]

Rinchen Gonpo Ohhhhhhh snap

[@ultrajd]

***** call me a racist if you want but honestly I don't care. In reality I actually have little problems with people who are out of Iranian descent. My issues stem from the fact that every time a disaster seems to happen in the Middle East especially if it happens around the country of Iran the Iranian government seems to always want to blame the west. The thing that I've always been annoyed by is so many countries in the Middle East hate the United States or even the West in general for in my mind completely illegitimate reasons. Also you probably might hate me in the sense that whenever I used to play Splinter Cell blacklist and I play the level that took place at the former American Embassy I actually got a strange almost six sense of joy in killing the Iranian soldiers that were in it. But don't worry if I were ever to meet you in person I can tell you right now that I wouldn't hold any contempt for you personally.

[@ultrajd]

***** my respect for you histor skyrocketed. I can understand having problems with a country that tries to constantly interfere with euro nations government or well-being. I actually fought in the Afghan war during 2006 - 2009. And honestly there were many many times where I would wake up in the morning and get my battle gear on before going out on patrol or I will be thinking to myself. "What are we even trying to do here?" I mean yes we took down the Taliban. However I think the biggest mistake that we made was trying to impart westernized government models onto a region of the world that had still been very tribal and very secular. I believe what we should have done after taking down the Taliban was simply make sure that the various tribes and secular groups would stop fighting each other and then leave. We should have never have tried to set up a singular government. I must say this though. The one main area where I get allot of my disdain for the Iranian nation is the former president. I forget his name but he was a man who was not only fiercely anti-western but he was also a Holocaust denier. And as a Jewish Canadian that one is a bit of a sore spot for me. But that's a discussion for a whole nother day. Again as I said in the beginning after reading your comment which talks about the perspective from both sides I now respect you fairly well. It's nice to actually speak to somebody who isn't blinded by just blatant racism be it through politics religion or simple skin color. On a side note you are actually very correct on the whole politicized religion thing. No I'm not a religious person. But I have read a couple of passages of both the Bible the Quran and the Turin and in the passages of the Quran that I red I found nothing that said you know till the people that don't believe in your God. In fact the Quran preaches peace and understanding. Unfortunately various people like to bastardize it and essentially drag the name of Muhammad through the mud. Now granted other religions do this is well. There are individuals here in the United States where I currently live that say they are devout Catholics are Christians and yet they go round firebombing abortion clinics or shooting up homosexual bars. Long story short the world as we know it right now is kind of a shit place to live.

[@Frozenwillow]

I do. In fact, I have been wondering about the appearance of batarian females since Revelation. Pretty sure I'm not the only one.

[@paigeseliger836]

I always thought that Mordin was based off of Bill Nye. They kind of look alike, AND they're both engineers.

[@nekocekoBiHMK]

Mordin isn't an engineer, though. He's a biologist.

[@RatchildUK]

nekocekoBiH Gameplay wise, he's an Engineer. He's like the flipside of Tali. She's the tech specialist and Mordin is the biologist expert. Synthetic/Organic.

[@davekent6023]

judging by the face, Bill Nighy

[@Milespro2346]

'Clint Eastwood Salarian' I lost it XD I don't think i can ever look at mordin the same again

[@Ideabot_69]

The codex entry on the Turians' military doctrine makes me feel as though they tossed a whole heap of Ancient Rome into it. Mainly how prisoners of war are recruited to the military and become citizens upon completion of a tour of duty.

[@DragonRadar52]

Well, you could have a prothean on your team. That doesn't really count as a "new" race but it does count as freaking amazing.

[@Jonatron101]

They existed in the universe (Revelation, Anderson's brief mention of the events of Revelation) except for Bringing Down the Sky. And Bringing Down the Sky was released while Mass Effect 2 would be in development, probably just after this interview.

[@MichaelTheCelt]

they explain in the game, i believe in the shadow broker dlc that he lost his head "horn" while he was on an STG mission distributing the genophage.

[@Chrinik]

They leave it up to me to decide how that happened? What, the Shadow Broker has a report file on him from his mission on tuchanka with the STG, he lost it during close quarter combat using a pitchfork...

[@GothicElf68]

I know this is old, but, the phrase used was "leave it up to you to figure out how that happened."

[@gokulauri]

I want to see how they created Thane Krios

[@Rhiilynn]

I Named one of my Alien OC "Salarious" she was the queen of the Salarians. Then I played ME1 and went "Well Fuck! I guess I have to tweak that races name." :/

[@sollie7]

"We don't just show the one and that's it" So how about them female turians, krogan, drell, and batarians (I'm not counting Eve because she's wearing a damn burqa, so we still don't actually know what they look like)? Oh wait.

[@xToAsTa]

when picking Shepards back story in ME1 if you pick "colonist" it says Shepards parents were killed by Batarian slavers.

[@keyo3316]

Somehow Salarian heads always sort of looked like the head of a giraffe to me.

[@Jim63071]

Human: Hey salarian! Salarian: What? Human: *trollface* Why the long face? Salarian: FUUUUUUUUU!!!

[@eran5005]

I don't know where people got that silly notion. I remember when i was playing ME1 (which was just ME at the time :P), i read each and every codex entry i could get my hands on because i found (and still find) this universe to be fascinating - and it had several mentions of the Batarians. Two of the origin stories you can choose for Shepard - war hero & ruthless involve Batarian lore. So yeah, don't know how that silly rumor started.

[@dfghj241]

would be awesome if they added a little story where salarians where abducting humans way before the contact war ever happened (in the current date of 2000's - 2030s) but these salarians never spoked anything to the council or anything, would be a really nice explanation of these storys of the greys in the mass effect universe!

[@RyanKaufman]

I totally saw the "This is like a basic alien, but changed to look more realistic"

[@valen123456]

I agree with you, but the problem for animators going down that route is that people then feel put off since aliens wouldnt look 'human enough' to covey body language or expressions that we can recognise and the digital acting wouldnt have worked, its the same way their mouths move in the same way an english speakers would even though they are supposedly speaking alien languages (you get the same feeling watching a foreign movie with an english dub, mouths just dont move in the right way)

[@HumanMonolith]

@Greatdictator That's true. They just seem to be humans made to look ugly so we're supposed to unquestioningly hate them. If they'd look less outwardly ugly (fish like, maybe?) they'd be more interesting from a design point. Loved the part they played in ME3 though. :)

[@dde334]

To be fair, the process they used making the original ME was likely very similar to that of making KOTOR, and most of the Star Wars characters were very humanoid as well (being originally designed for movie sets). I'd say the differentiation of these characters is a big step from film and previous RPGs.

[@masseffectbozon]

puts starwars to shame, well done Bio WELL DONE

[@_MaZTeR_]

Salarian kidney is best served at room temperature. It is even better when the salarian is still alive. The fear adds... spice.

[@Impartial_Sojourner]

Mordin arms look like they are cybernetic.

[@dakacklator]

Now show us quarians under the suits :D, despite the fact the technically cant live without it xD

[@ILoveHandles]

Y U NO MAKE MORE FEMALE MODELS FOR ALIENS, THO? Seriously though, if they want diversity, that's great. It would have helped immerse us in the game more if there weren't females that we'd hear about or guess at, but never see them. (Or see them far, FAR later, such as in the case with Nyreen.) Hopefully, this is something that will be addressed in coming installments. *hint hint*

[@dfghj241]

yea mordin said he don't do experiment with species capable of calculus, which is a kinda stupid thing to say, not because i support the experimentation, but the type of calculus he was referring to is common to a much bigger variety of animals then only space faring kind of inteligence, the kind of calculus that make a species capable of choosing which path is the best, which way to kill a prey is the best and so on. and i wasn't even talking about mordin, i was talking about his race overall.

[@Queen3210]

No you can't... Legion dies no matter what you choose to do in the game... The Geth can live if you choose to either side with them or tell them both off. Regardless Geth uploads himself in order to give the Geth independence. You can save _Mordin_ so long as Wrex is dead from ME1, but Legion and Thane are both lost causes sadly.

[@Yapo1987]

So... can someone explain to me, exactly why all salarians that don't wear robes with a hood, DO wear those strange chest and forearm "frame" pieces? Does it has to have something with that their natural bone frame is fragile at those places?

[@godofimagination]

It says in LATSB that Mordin's horn was removed by a female krogan during his genophage mission (while he was killing her with a pitchfork).

[@herpderp9430]

Honestly, I dislike how many aliens have those backwards knees.

[@ParentiBrothers]

Mordin was my favorite character. He will be avenged!

[@rockCity777]

The theme of limiting the into human shape is repeated in all of these videos. I suppose it makes sense with the current technical limitations and the practical things, but it does sacrifice some of the realism and soul prevalent in some sci-fi. I hope that it'll be possible to bring some truy weird, unique or incredible characters to life in the future

[@3027085]

Mordin: The Clint Eastwood Salarian. His voice still never hit puberty. gotta love him ;)

[@barrybend7189]

So the Salarians were inspired by the Vree from Babylon 5.

[@bassmickey]

Wow, One of the richest and most organic video game franchise ever created.

[@Xenomorphine]

Batarians: The one species cursed with the misfortune to look eternally constipated. No wonder they're so aggressive and grumpy all the time...

[@MilitantOldLady]

I am the very model of a scientist Salarian.... *now you're singing it in your head too* :D

[@El_Presidente_5337]

I've studied species turian, asari, and batarian 🎶

[@juukame]

I've been wondering, what is the lifespan of a turian? I don't recall ever seeing that mentioned in the game or the codex.

[@demonnogo]

Well my second female Shepard did but my male Shepard didn't. How can you explain multiple Shepards and outcomes if you are real?

[@helloimtom100]

i love the salarians, live to age 40, live fast and die young

[@Wanooknox]

Damn it Mass Effect, stop being so God damn interesting! I have things to get done!

[@OhManTFE]

'dour british expression' bahahaha

[@jackfromm]

"The Clint Eastwood Salarian" lol

[@helloimtom100]

he some how became even more cooler

[@Scorpio3002]

Damn, good point. I'm sticking with my theory, though. It can't be that hard to add something into the codex an hour before you ship the game, and I desperately want to believe that Bioware pulled a Dr Seuss with "Salarian/Batarian"

[@masseffectbozon]

OHHHHHH I want to see quarians with no masks, turian females, more elcor and volus in ME 4 :D plz

[@Shiyamirai]

Never make flat-chested jokes at a Salarian female

[@dEsSiCaTa]

4:09 Is that why the Raloi was never included in ME3?

[@Tassanamm]

This is properly my favourite race in Mass effect

[@SolKaras]

Actually they were mentioned in vanilla ME1, in the codex. :) They had a different look before they were properly designed for "Bring Down the Sky", though. But really, who read those codexes :P

[@armandoBatista1979]

Benedict Cumberbatch looks like a Salarian.

[@Spulpacz]

i still want to see REAL GREY aliens in this game

[@dkyoandblade]

wow. that's a lot of work to put into something. I bet the writers never told you that "Oh yeah, by the way, you guys are making such an artfully tasteful game, we're going to do a great job with the story all the way up until the end...then we're going to change the entire direction of the game in the last 5 minutes as a 'fuck you!' to the entire bioware fan base!"

[@dkyoandblade]

Ha, you're saying that to me and about 95% of the other people who have played the game.

[@demonnogo]

Mind=blown.

[@jonnymovieboy]

I'm proud to be a British Salarians

[@Xenomorphine]

With respect, that's a horrid mentality for you to exhibit - and one your brother would undoubtedly be horrified his loss inspired in you. If memory serves right, the friendly fire incidents involving Patriot missiles were a result of the IFF transponders either not working or not having the codes relayed to those manning and doing their jobs on the missile batteries. It has nothing to do with their nationality, any more than the RAF accidentally hitting civilians has to do with them being UK.

[@commandershepard5131]

I'll admit, I almost didn't want to do Synthesis. But I found out that we'd come back. Look in the coments of other mass effect 3 videos, and you'll find the others, pretty sure I saw Garrus argueing with his sister over the video he and Legion made. Speaking of which, Legion, Miranda, Tali, Garrus, Jeff, and Ilive in the same house now. I'm not quite sure where Thane and Javik live, but they're always with each other. Look up Legion and Friends videos, it shows what most of us do now.

[@BlaqMagiq99]

he said that their inspiration for Mordins character design, at least for the face, was Clint Eastwood. 3:00 "the design brief was to say what would the clint eastwood salarian look like?" 3:14 "the intens squint and the wrinkles" if u look at Clint Eastwood and then this picture of Mordin u can see the similarities in the faces so, -.-... pay attention

[@JRLeeman]

@TheCreator014 That's a stereotype - the majority of British people aren't sophisticated in the same way that many people in America aren't sophisticated. If you think that Britain doesn't have intelligence I have three words for you - Professor Stephen Hawking...

[@estevanvalladares3701]

And today we know how Andromeda ended up like. And on a more nostalgic note, all that sounds really cool, but still, in ME original trilogy, batarians always had their upper eyes upper from the visor in their helmets, so the human biometrics jabber didnt really gone through much.

[@AdamSrayi]

were there any new aliens in ME3?

[@SuperThundeification]

>Most powerful military in existence >Hasn't won a war since 1812 No doubt America has the biggest stick, but you swinging the stick like a baseball bat and accidentaoly hitting the UK. Your arrogance just adds to the hate.

[@Hyake]

About the missing part of his head... I always thought he was born like that... but iunno, some battlefield related accident?

[@killingrang]

'There's nobody on the team who doesn't want to see more alien race.' Then why did you not add any more for mass effect 3? The Protheans was the only new race and he was dlc.

[@graidstinHitlerRants]

Ah yes, the Salarians. Aliens supposedly based on the stereotypical, Roswell aliens, whose livers are a delicacy and who once ate flies. We have dismissed that claim.

[@Ko700el]

the majority of people rarely (never) see when the comment they replyed was writen..nor go to previous pages to see if there was an answer..none cares..humor goes on

[@SuperThundeification]

I'd say the Krogan's were Maori (New Zealanders). Bred big, strong, killing in the nature. Americans are more... Volus... Annoying, petty, god fearing and fat. :)

[@Theonegamefreak]

I miss Mordin.

[@AmariFukui]

I think they just hate the stereotypical american. Also I think that power comes from the location. with the only neighbors being canada and mexico

[@erik7317]

I wonder what other aliens were designed. I really want a Mass Effect MMORPG after ME3 where you can be any of the council races and then some.

[@erik7317]

@@mike-6139 hard pass on RTS for me

[@pepparmostheelder]

Others alredy replied with this but I'll just go ahead and put another nail in the coffine :P Batarians were mentioned in ME1 before any DLC.

[@Sharlarra1983]

A pity they were so restrained and made all the aliens look so similar to humans. They must have had brilliant ideas for each race. Awww

[@Seddon4494]

Plus in 'war hero' psychological profile you fight off Baterian slavers

[@katapruiz]

MORDIN

[@OverFork0ver]

Very true. People will never say "Oh, I'm half-American and half-______ country" America is more a melting pot.

[@TheUnknown285]

So, Mordin is the Clint Eastwood of salarians? I wonder if he talks to chairs when we're not looking.

[@theswedishdude1]

Mordin = Space Clint Eastwood? lol perfect

[@SuperThundeification]

The Salarian face is based on our "Dour British face" Because we are never happy and never smile.

[@Caboose727]

Always wondered why the Salarians looked like they too an ice cream scooper to the chest.

[@bioniclebuu]

youve got a pont geth are Badass!

[@DirtyNerd86]

Doesn't he realize that there were Batarians before ME2? Because... Uh... There were.

[@Muzzly1234]

You think you can do better than Bioware? I'd like to see you create an alien race.

[@Hjernespreng]

3:27 He lost it in a skirmish with Krogans when they renewed the Genophage. The game itself makes it clear in the "Lair of the shadowbrooker" DLC.

[@Nikolaj11]

I clicked on the video because i thought the thubnail was a Salarian in a suit!

[@TH-xo4zx]

okay who came up with the concept of vorcha and why