[Fyron]

Originally posted by spoon:
I think that's the point he was trying to make -- it would be "better" if you could only discover these traits through interaction. (I put "better" in quotes because I'm not sure I agree... but it does make for an interesting twist). And your "painfully obvious" examples carry a few assumptions, I think, that don't necessarily apply to any given game...

edit: spellink

How so? It is very hard to hide the fact that your ships use organic technology, or crystalline. It is hard to miss someone from a deeply religious race if you converse with them... just talking with them yields all the clues you need... "deeply religious" does not mean "is religious", it means "is very religious, religion deeply permeates all aspects of their lives". Or it could be "deeply spiritual", which would have a similar affect...