Planet Andalite must be one dangerous place...

[Chad32]

It was in Andalite Chronicles, and Elfangor was saying the government would let them have more than one child. Still, you're right that the government has controls in place for that. There very well could be some selective breeding going on.

[Hunter]

so basically, ur saying that the andalites are a bunch of communists?

[ThinkAgain]

Not necessarily a communist government, just a corrupt one. Normal Politicians could be happily elected by the people, unknown to either that they would basically be puppets to the Apex Level Intelligence, and whatever other "advisors" exist in the background. For all we know, there could be a group influencing the US President's decisions.

[Terenia]

That's a really good point, Think (also, welcome to the forum!).

In more recent years there is definitely selective breeding going on. However, adaptations and evolution takes place over millions of years. I find it hard to believe that selective breeding has existed since the prehistoric Andalites. So some of the adaptations would have been natural, while perhaps some are in the best interest of the government. I tend to think that the time-keeping sense is a natural ability, however. Ax seems genuinely surprised in #4 when he discovers that the humans do not possess this ability. Additionally, most adaptations that were government implemented (like the translator chip) were referenced more as technology, rather than an ability.

[ThinkAgain]

Thanks,

But while that's true, in prehistoric times, it wasn't selective breeding, it was natural selection. Selective breeding probably began as early as when small populations were not a problem. Ax often comments on things such as how he is shocked there were females in the military, and how men had dominance over them, in other words, strong and enforced gender roles. It's likely its always been that way, just that the corrupt government prevented free thought of equal rights. In the US, women's rights, racial rights, and gay rights movements all occured in the last 100 years. If there was no support for these, we'd basically be living in the 1800's with computers, planes and cars. That's probably what Andalite society is like.

[Aquilai]

Deep thoughts. I like! It's funny how the topic has changed from a dangerous planet to a dangerous government...

Exploiting this pause has anyone tried creating an Andalite like planet (and creature) in Spore? It works out really well, I would post pictures but I've lost them =/ If you have Spore have a go! It is worth trying.

[ThinkAgain]

Look that up on youtube. I don't personally have spore, but you'd be surprised. There's literally dozens of Animorph's creatures/aliens. I will say, that some are better than others.

[Azguard]

hmmm....wouldn't that be a twist? The race that supposedly we look to to save us, and rescue us, turns out to be an overly manipulative, controlling, panicky freaked out quasi-communist regime. And here we thought the Yeerks were bad. Only to discover that since we didn't know all the information...we defeated one evil race for another.


Here are my thoughts though about the dangerous government. Evolution wise, those blades are deadly. Even if used for mating, we know they're sharp. Even earth animals can use their horns for defense. So what I think is this, and this is the most logical to me, they evolved to fend off huge predators.....until they evolved enough intelligently to start making weapons and other things.
..
..then through overpopulation of their cities (didn't they have cities at one point and then they cut back? this might also explain the children policy the government seems to control), pollution, lack of care of their planet, overtaxing resources, and what have you they wiped out those animals simply the way we are wiping out our own today.

 This may also explain why the Andalites seem to have re-entered this hippy, nature-worshipping, planet loving phase. Their learning from past mistakes.

 

[Brad the Brit]

they also live in domes.

[ThinkAgain]

A dome is the most structurally efficient shape based on surface area, volume, and weight bearing strength.

We use domes. Look at ancient architecture, and modern covered arenas, domes all the way. Only reason average homes do not use domes is because wood is our most efficient building material, and its not exactly easy to bend.

And Azguard, I wouldn't say the Andalites are evil. Look at the former Soviet Union; just because Stalin was evil didn't mean ALL the Russians were. Like you said, the average Andalite is a warrior hippy nature lover. The ones in power are just corrupt, influencing the people. I view Andalite society as like old human societies, except with technology (Strong gender roles, intolerance, and the "White Man's Burden" style mentality, except it kind of is their burden because Yeerks were their fault) Also, they didn't wipe out animals for the same reasons we did. We eat them, they just spited predators.

[Brad the Brit]

A dome is the most structurally efficient shape based on surface area, volume, and weight bearing strength.

We use domes. Look at ancient architecture, and modern covered arenas, domes all the way. Only reason average homes do not use domes is because wood is our most efficient building material, and its not exactly easy to bend.

damn it your right again

[Azguard]

true that. so...

...either they wiped them out intentionally...or they made our mistakes.

i can see it now. They wiped them out out of spite...only to realize the wrong they did. In this period of international realization and mourning, their scientific and exploration sectors of their space departments exploded as they tried to find new species and help them out instead of destroy them in a sort of way to right their wrongs.

....then in this mode they discovered the Yeerks a few hundred years down the road.

[ThinkAgain]

At Brad... You say it like its a bad thing 

And Azguard, yeah, that's basically how I see things. Except now the corrupt government is in power, and those specific quasi-Stalins want power and empire, and are using "Right the Yeerk Wrong" as a front to do so... Look what they did on the Hork-Bajir world, and what they planned to do to humans. Andalites are so goal oriented they seem to take things to the end, sort of like extremist utilitarians.

[Brad the Brit]

the problem with the andalites is that they where to full of themselves. they where so wrapped up in their own problems that they couldent reach out to do the right thing with other races. i mean look wat happend to the 

[ThinkAgain]

I sort of just said that