I know we didn't evolve mainly to use tools and I am aware of the theory that our brain size is the effect of a genetic defect in the jaw muscles, so it many things happened by pure chance.shrinkshooter wrote: To m_k: I apologize for sounding elitist or something, but that way of thinking about evolution is misinformed. We were not evolved to use tools. Somewhere along the line our brains got "tweaked," and we became capable of abstract thought. Tools soon followed. However, you are on the right track; we have evolved in the presence of tools for many, many years, so the two are connected. I just wanted to clarify that technicality.
Nevertheless, we aren't the only ones using tools. Even some birds are known to use tools, the greatest example are ravens. But no species on earth is that profficient in this than the human. In fact there are 2.5 million year old findings of good old sharpened stones, a time when we and the chimpanzees hadn't split. Personally I don't believe we were able of great abstract thinking back then. Consider some of the physiological differences between us and other species, like our hands which are certainly more useful in manipulating objects than a beak. I kinda like my opposable thumbs. Consider the fact that we are the ones walking upright, there is certainly some correlation here. Locomotion is much harder this way, but the benefit lies in having your hands free to carry tools around an being able to use them all the time. Even the ability of abstract thinking has to do with tools. The only reason to spend more energy on your brain is to use it for survival, like putting a sharpened stone on a stick and use this spear for hunting. And so the list goes on.
I'm not saying we are the only ones being able to use tools, I'm just saying out of all the species on this planet were are the ones suited best for them and this is largely due to evolution, so this is why I believe it safe to say that one of the main directions we have evolved in is to use tools.
Of course there are other forms, but appart from some extra limbs or the deus-ex-machina of telekinetic powers the humanoid form is one of the most obvious solutions, at least for all climatic zones available on our planet that humans live in, in game terms meaning for example desert, terran, tundra and swamp.
As I said, I don't want only humanoids, but I want every race to fit to it's enviroment, maybe I should post some own non humanoid races to exemplify what I mean.