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mspears In reply to Nethrezar [2013-06-27 17:41:27 +0000 UTC]

(Yes, I know I'm replying to a 5-year-old post)

They probably do; we know that some of the Protoss introduced in the games (such as Selendis) are female, so they definitely have genders. But the Protoss are also definitely not mammals; in fact, they're outside any taxonomic classification that we know of, so their genitalia are probably not external.

I mean, they "feed" on light (actually, I think it's probably a combination of light and ambient psionic energy generated by the Khaydarin crystals, because it CAN'T be photosynthesis; I'll explain later if you want to know "why not?"). They absorb what little water they need through their skin, and have senses of smell and hearing. In fact, their sense of smell is so acute they can even identify other protoss solely by smell.

Being able to smell does not mean they need to breathe; maybe they do, maybe they don't. In order to have a sense of smell, all you need is some sort of chemoreceptors. I have no idea whether their hearing is better or worse than a human's; you don't have to have an external ear in order to hear. Maybe they have tympanic membranes, like a frog's (in which case they wouldn't even have visible ear HOLES); maybe they pick up vibrations like a snake (snakes are technically deaf); or maybe it's something else entirely.

Bottom line is that they're ALIEN, and Blizzard has deliberately kept a lot of information about them vague... because to actually explain all these things without being laughed at by biologists, Blizzard would have to do a lot of research. We probably will never know how they reproduce.

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SomeKindaSpy In reply to mspears [2014-05-14 01:34:52 +0000 UTC]

Wow, fascinating! I guess they really wouldn't need a sense of hearing if they're telepathic, but then, what do I know?

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mspears In reply to SomeKindaSpy [2014-05-16 00:22:05 +0000 UTC]

I think the hearing issue would depend on how easy it is for them to pick up the thoughts of other races.  They can, and do, "mindspeak" with humans; but I have no idea how difficult it is for them.  For all I know, Tassadar just had a lot of practice reading Jim Raynor's mind.

We *do* know that they *do* have some sort of hearing and/or vibration sense, though I don't remember exactly where that was stated.  Even though they're telepathic, there is still a valid reason for hearing: Suppose some other race developed a device that blocked telepathy, or evolved an ability to block their thoughts (maybe even one that couldn't be consciously controlled)?  In that case, having some sort of hearing is a good idea...

I'm surprised you found my post... an almost one-year-old reply to an almost six-year-old thread.  I'm glad you thought it was fascinating, though!  I'm a computer geek by trade, but I've got a thorough background in general science, so I can usually speculate on the homeworld, evolution, and biology of video game races.  (At one point, I was even translating the races from Masters of Orion 2 into playable races for a GURPS Space campaign... never finished, though.)

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SomeKindaSpy In reply to mspears [2014-05-16 00:30:51 +0000 UTC]

I did find it fascinating! I was bored and was looking up Protoss fanart. (Surprisingly not a lot of)

Yeah, sort of thought about it more after I posted that comment that hearing would definitely be needed. But then of course, people and animals can still be snuck up on.

I'm glad I did find your comment, though!

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mspears In reply to SomeKindaSpy [2014-05-23 03:39:45 +0000 UTC]

In case you were wondering why their "feeding" could not be photosynthesis:

Protoss range from 7 feet to almost 10 feet tall, and obviously they are very mobile.  Photosynthesis simply does not create enough energy; it works for plants, because plants don't have to move (much) or kick Tyrannid... sorry, ZERG ass!    So I think it's more likely that it's not related to photosynthesis at all; maybe it's not even feeding on light, but feeding on cosmic radiation in general.

Also, I found more information on their senses.  Their sense of smell (HOW they are able to smell is still unknown) is good enough that they can identify each other by individual scent, and they have extremely good low light vision (they still can't see in total darkness, but it is at least as good as a cat's nightvision).

AND, their skin has chromatophores, so they can change their skin color (maybe not consciously; it may be a subconscious response to emotional stimuli), but the default seems bluish or purplish, probably due to the color of their blood.  Their life expectancy is at least a thousand years, probably more.  Executor Artanis is "only" 262 years old, which is considered extremely young for an Executor; Protoss under 300 years old (and all female Protoss) rarely hold a significant political position.

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SomeKindaSpy In reply to mspears [2014-05-23 04:17:42 +0000 UTC]

Thanks! I always find speculative biology interesting.

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