Points
Air has 16* as much oxygen by volume then water and ~780 times or more by mass.
Humans couldn't get enough oxygen from water even if we used skin and gills to respire.
Of course its a game so the developers can say whatever they want it just isn't really possible.
About the only way... and this is WAY WAY improbable would be if they cracked Ammonia for oxygen, but they would need some organic device in their body that exceeded ~1000c to do it.
Axeface wrote: ↑Sun, 18. Nov 18, 15:53From the ArgonopaediaPhoynix wrote: ↑Sun, 18. Nov 18, 07:35 No real reason exists why the Boron shouldn't breathe air if they are an evolved species, as far as real biology suggests is that they SHOULD have the capacity to breathe air.
Their is a functional limit to how much oxygen intake of more primitive oxygen exchange methods can take in that directly relates to how large and active they can grow, human brains use 20% of the total oxygen intake, a fish may use 3%.Real biology on earth. The makeup of their home planet is vastly different to earth, wouldnt they evolve in a very different way?Planet Boron is a vast distance from Argon Prime, with a very different atmosphere and planetary conditions. Its surface is covered with deadly chemical swamps and the atmosphere is based upon an ammonia compound that, to any Humanoid, would mean instant death. The planet also has a great many huge oceans in which the Boron race evolved and lives up to the present day.
And thank you for getting me to search for that info because I had forgot to check the Boron argonopaedia (thought the info was the same as the Wiki which ive been looking at), and there is a wealth of information there! Heres some of it, which answer a lot of the other questions/speculations in this thread. Looks like some of this info hasnt been updated to the latest concept though, but its great nevertheless.
The suit idea should be retconned though
Some bulletpoints from that:-The Borons today
Boron live in water. They have six main limbs, of which four are stronger built then the others. Additionally, they have a varying number of very small tentacles. They have snouts and those big eyes on stalks like.
There is a third, relatively rare gender to the Boron, which is called Lar. The Lar are mostly extremely intelligent and are in many important positions within the parliament and the royal family. Lars never have the short, playful names "normal" Borons like. They tend to use beautiful names of honour, sometimes adopted from other species. Lar are addressed as female, although humans can't distinguish Boron of different gender anyway.
Boron use environment suits if they are outside their element. These environment suits are made of white translucent and flexible polymer material. The suits have extensions only for the four main limbs. But you can see the other two limbs and the small tentacles as they press from inside the suit, since it's not completely opaque. On top of the suit is a round see through "globe" (like glass – but made of a durable plastic) where their head is. While inside their suits, they do not 'walk' (they're much too weak for that, since they're used to float under water). The suits are equipped with an anti-g device that makes them float everywhere, but they try not to float too obviously, as not to irritate others.
When floating in the same water, Boron's can 'taste' RNA molecules from other Borons and so get a (hazy) concept of what's on the other Boron's mind (does not work with other species). The Boron RNA stays in the water for a long time.
Boron turn their stalks inwards towards each other when they are amused. Their way of smiling.
They have an ability with their four main tentacles to snap small bones together thereby creating an appendage (arm, leg) with small grips (very small thin fingers). This gives them the ability to lift or move things around more easily. Adults can do this selectively (just one tentacle for example) while younger "children" can only perform all at once. They get the selective ability as they mature.
They are just over a meter in length with the largest males reaching about 1.3 meters.
They have a "jet" like propulsion system that resides in the bottom of their torso. They suck water in through their snouts and pass it into their "gills" to extract oxygen. The water is then pushed out through this "hole" and this creates the jet like behavior. This gives them the ability to move around very quickly in water.
They take food through the snout (mainly plankton type organisms or small *fish*) and their suits have devices to allow the items to be introduced into their "mini" water environment. Although in their native water they would glide to eat plankton or actively hunt for small fish.
They dislike most drug inducing products but it has been known for them to introduce spaceweed derivatives into their environment suits.
The Borons tend to talk in very longwinded, awkward sentences that are full of repetitions. Also, they love strange sounding metaphors. They can, however, talk very to-the-point when in danger for their live.
- Boron can effectively read eachothers frikkin minds!
- Some of their communication is by movement of their eye stalks.
- They can snap their limbs around and make them semi-rigid (important for X4)
- THEY HAVE ANTI-GRAVITY DEVICES AND CAN FLOAT (can we forget the whole mech suit/walking stuff now please?)
You can't hire Boron crew (Boron model in some flying water bubble sounds ridiculous).
(simillar to Xenon in XR) - hacking Boron ships might be possible if you buy some expensive "illegal" software that can help operate stolen Boron ships (without a crew inside) but it will damage reputation with their faction.
