Designing Unique Characters in a Science Fiction Universe (part 3)

Cultural viewpoints in Solar Echoes from the various alien races are not necessarily there to serve as a template for a character, but they may serve as a starting point. For example, in the Krissethi culture, life is a competition and status is the measure of how you are progressing through the ranks of that competition. This is not to say that characters of each race must fall into a stereotype for that race, but it is to show what the majority of people in that culture grow up around. Does your Krissethi character swear off materialism and self-aggrandizement? Instead of following the status-quo, has this Krissethi decided to lend a helping hand whenever possible, donating all personal wealth to a good cause? If so, then you'll know what he or she grew up around, which gives you an opportunity to detail what motivated your character to go against the grain and how others around him responded to this behavior. Challenging established themes often makes characters very intriguing and multi-layered, but it is important to first understand where they are coming from and what the cultural norms are for that race.