Could playing as different Pathfinders have worked?

Yes, it would - also maybe quarians, and possibly angarans and/or drell... but you'd still have to build multiple CCs and PC armor sets to accommodate them.

Offering the other species as PCs would be a nightmare for animators.  The DA species were relatively simple - they all have very similar facial structures, expressions, and animation anchor points - and even then, DAI had quite a few conversations that were not fully cutscene animated.  In order to have, for example, turian or salarian options for PC, they'd have to create separate species-specific animations for most every cutscene.  I honestly can't imagine them ever being willing (or able) to do that.

Yeah that would be miserable. At least for games like SWTOR they are all based off the human model. Be much harder here.

Maybe?  Or a copy with some tweaks.

It depends on exactly how their CC meshes the face with the wig (hair), and how different facial features impact the shape of the skull/scalp.

But yeah, in addition to customizing facial features and skin tones in an asari palette, I would also expect the CC would include a variety of facial and scalp markings.

Honestly, if making a CC for asari were that easy, I'd think MEA might not have presented the asari clone army, yanno?

Multiple racial pathfinders is a good way for them to expand and add playable races. They're all humanoids to start out with, so you're not having to blow time on unique body sets and such, the only thing to really do is unique dialogue to each race, and I'm one that would take the minimum on this so long as race variety is a thing, as another said "I'm tired of this human first nonsense" cause it's reused SOOOO many times and isn't special anymore, plus that's what the OT did anyways.

I'm not entirely sure what you mean here.

DA supported other species as the PC from the beginning.  Not terribly difficult for the DA team, since all of their species have similar facial features and expressions.

AFAIK, the ME team has never suggested they would consider supporting a PC of any species other than human.  I can't see them ever doing that, though they could potentially be willing to consider producing a DLC where you play a character of another species (though I wouldn't expect that character to be highly customizable).  Or perhaps a segment where you play another character, similar to playing Joker during the collector abduction in ME2.  Other than that, I can't see it happening.

The other thing they (ME development team) would need to consider is the face-scan technology they implemented for the CC in MEA, and the non-existence of other species to scan IRL.  Plus, all the backlash from people who were dissatisfied with the CC they released.  After all of that, I'm pretty hard pressed to imagine they'd want to try to build CCs to support multiple species.

You forgot the dark spawn DLC. I can't remember the DLC name it's been that long.

There it is. No CC. You get what you get. A minor CC is all you need (three presets at most). And playing a Quarian? Choice of mask and sex and suit color. Krogan? Maybe a few presets. Salarians and Turians would need a better CC. Maybe something for SP to try in MP?

How about The Sims ME Edition. Blue babies and all lol.

It's been awhile, but I don't remember the Darkspawn Chronicles offering any CC at all - they just gave you a series of darkspawn characters to play.

Choosing from among a few presets is the most I would expect they'd ever provide.  That, or playing a specific character (like Joker or some other companion).

No, there wasn't a CC. So, do you think it's a cool idea for a short-term DLC that can give more variety to MP? 

For me the Quarians, Volus and Elcor are the easiest ones to make that happen. I don't see much differences with Elcor (listen... I'm not a racist... I just don't see it. Forgive my insensitivity.) and they would have some optional stuff like a lit cigar. Now... that... would be cool. What do you think?

They would be the "tank" character.

Jumpjets.