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Were almost all of the Xenometric androids created by humans for theme park or other reasons?
Now that the humor part is out of the way...
The Xenometric Android trades away the Upgrade Slot and Exceptional Vision traits of Androids for the ability to have some aspects of a given alien race.
Starfinder Core Rulebook options are dwarf (darkvision, slow but steady), elf (elven immunities, low-light vision), gnome (gnome magic, low-light vision), half-elf (adaptability, low-light vision), half-orc (darkvision, intimidating, self-sufficient), halfling (keen senses, sneaky, sure-footed), kasatha (four-armed, natural grace), lashunta (lashunta magic, limited telepathy), shirren (blindsense, limited telepathy), vesk (low-light vision, natural weapons), and ysoki (cheek pouches, darkvision).
Starfinder Alien Archive options are dragonkin (draconic immunities, flight), formian (limited telepathy, natural weapons), haan (firespray, slow fall), kalo (kalo movement, kalo vision), maraquoi (blindsense, prehensile tail), nuar (natural weapons, swift), verthani (skill focus, skin mimic), and wrikreechee (snag, wrikreechee movement).
Starfinder Alien Archive 2 options are hobgoblin (fearsome, sneaky), orc (fierce survivalist, orc ferocity), pahtra (nimble, talented), and vlaka (cold resistance, perceptive).
The Starfinder Pact Worlds option is the strix (nightborn, strix mobility).
The reason I asked the above question:
Exceptional Vision is Lowlight and Darkvision for androids normally, but is traded out as part of the Xenometric price.
Dragonkin, formian, haan, maraquoi, nuar, verthani, wrikreechee, hobgoblin, orc, pahtra, vlaka, strix all seem to lack either racial Darkvision or racial Lowlight vision as xenometrics.
Is this a gross conceptual error on my part, or is it an intentional design feature? If they were designed by the race they were emulating, wouldn't they have the same senses as that race?
Thank you very much for your time in advance
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If they were designed by the race they were emulating, wouldn't they have the same senses as that race?
Yes, that's why regular androids, being modeled on humans, don't have darkvision or low light vision.
If they were designed by the race they were emulating, wouldn't they have the same senses as that race?Yes, that's why regular androids, being modeled on humans, don't have darkvision or low light vision.
'Regular' androids have Darkvision and Lowlight vision, which is why there's a question.
'Regular' androids have Darkvision and Lowlight vision, which is why there's a question.If they were designed by the race they were emulating, wouldn't they have the same senses as that race?Yes, that's why regular androids, being modeled on humans, don't have darkvision or low light vision.
You invalidated the premise of your own question. That’s the joke.
You invalidated the premise of your own question. That’s the joke.'Regular' androids have Darkvision and Lowlight vision, which is why there's a question.If they were designed by the race they were emulating, wouldn't they have the same senses as that race?Yes, that's why regular androids, being modeled on humans, don't have darkvision or low light vision.
Okay, so dial it back for someone unclear on the subject -- what purpose would creating an android that is 'blind' to the normal sensory range of the species be other than as a construct in a museum or theme park?
Apologies, my perceptions have been shot through the Abyss with this blasted pandemic thing going on (don't think I'm sick right now, but I'm deemed 'essential' and fatigue is killing me).
Baseline androids are modeled after humans. Humans don't have darkvision, but androids do.
So, therefore the answer to the question:
If they were designed by the race they were emulating, wouldn't they have the same senses as that race?
Is no, they wouldn't necessarily have the same senses.
Okay, so dial it back for someone unclear on the subject -- what purpose would creating an android that is 'blind' to the normal sensory range of the species be other than as a construct in a museum or theme park?
So that they can have other racial qualities of the base species that you're prefer they have. Apparently some physical laws prevent putting all of this stuff into one package. If you want darkvision/low light inherent, you'd have to give up something else. The designers chose not to do that.
And not having those senses isn't a big handicap. Most species with low light and darkvision still use lighting (I don't think you can read most stuff with darkvision), and you can always clamp a headlamp on your android.