Post by aldenata on Aug 6, 2012 22:20:17 GMT -5
Why is it that the aliens always have to be some sort of insectoid / lizard like creature? IMO that genre is completely outdated and needs to go away.
Contrarian that I am, I'm going to say that the Skitters are neither insects nor lizards.
They're crustaceans.
There have been examples of crustaceans that size in our own planet's fossil record (Jaekelopterus Rhenaniae, eight feet long and may have looked something like this), so it would be possible. And it seems that such a creature would do better as a sentient lifeform than an insect.
The actual "Skitter" aliens are complete garbage in my book. unless they are not the actual alien race but a sort of genetic creation to aid the mechs with phase 1. When they were at the food store the aliens "skitters" came out of the racks in the "Alien" fashion. They uncoiled from their hiding location. it's already been done! Also, they dont seem to be armed. Are the Skitters armed? I can only recall the Mechs actually firing after they locked on their targets. Perhaps Im wrong, please fill me in if so.
I think the mechs prefer to take time and aim, but are fully capable of "shooting from the hip" if need be.
Skitters do seem to be little more than cannon fodder, and yet they also some level of, if not autonomy, at least authority (over harnessed children at least, and there seems to be a basic rank structure among themselves as well).
They're not armed, but very strong and very fast. Their tactics seem to involve keeping fighters pinned down with mechs so the skitters can get in close and do things to them that can't be shown on primetime television. I thought it was a little odd, however, that Red Eye had a space-Cattle Prod on the ship at the start of Season 2, but had to go back to duking it out with humanity when he went planet-side.
Were I a skitter commander, especially a rebel skitter (maybe the Overlords have some kind of weapons prohibition against them), I'd try and arm my forces. With improvised pikes, if nothing else.