The Genesis of Aliens (part 4)

Another factor that we considered when developing the Solar Echoes alien races is competitiveness and the ability to spread one's kind. I wanted a plant-like race in Solar Echoes, and though we make no attempt to explain how a plant can develop intelligence, the Erwani became our sentient race of plants. Plants are quite capable of spreading their kind across vast distances through spores, seed pods, and other means, so the idea of plants in space didn't seem too far-fetched. Plants thrive on CO2, so an alien race that could live in an environment toxic to other races was very appealing. Plus, there was a cool opportunity for an almost symbiotic relationship with Erwani and other, oxygen-breathing aliens on starships and space stations. Another race that was decided upon because of its competitive nature, resilience, and ability to spread is the reptilian Krissethi. The dinosaurs once dominated almost all ecosystems on Earth, and if not for the cataclysmic event that resulted in their extinction, these reptiles may still rule the Earth, and might have developed greater intelligence than the reptiles on Earth today. Maybe the reptiles managed to flourish somewhere else out there, on another planet? Reptiles reproduce in large numbers, they are resilient, and they often compete to the top of the food chain. It's not a stretch to imagine reptiles doing well somewhere else in the universe!