Death 999 wrote:The problem is, they WEREN'T that until they started using the masks.
Looking through
the dialogue, there is very little discussion specifically about their history, but I think I may see what you're getting at. It does seem like the Utwig may be lacking a filter that would prevent their emotions from spilling out at socially inappropriate places - which is what the masks are for. If they didn't have those masks... think of the most socially-awkward, introverted, emotional, too-honest-for-his-own-good nerd you can (something like
this guy...).
I guess the function of their masks is to "fixate" an emotional message, and any other emotion that may come through (through voice tone, etc.) is politely ignored and considered to not exist. No ambiguity for the Utwig.
dczanik wrote:Interesting ideas. We'll have to talk later. Never thought of the Utwig as something like the Vogons. If they start writing poetry....run.
Sure, anytime.
The Vogons are inefficient, though, and the Utwig are not. Vogons represent a huge, overbearing, incompetent bureaucracy that cares little about the details. Utwig represent a similarly overbearing, but very compact and dense bureaucracy that is very focused on little details. The Druuge (and the Vogons) are expansionist - but the Utwig turn that energy inward, to a somewhat dangerous extent. That's why their sphere of influence is so tiny, despite them being more advanced than most of the other races.
