Regarding Avatars, Suggestions I Haven't Yet Seen Options

[Zenthus]

I read the suggested avatars thing and I didn't quite see a thread like this.

Alright, the reason the first furcadian avatars were chosen was they covered a broad number of species that were popular in the fandom. Rodents are 40% of mammals, canines can include wolves, foxes, and a whole lot of subspecies, and felines come in large and small, and can pass as some other species. So on and so forth. Equines can be deer, sheep, giraffe, gazelle, whatever, and IMO they could have been cows but that's another topic altogether. Bunnies can be a lot of things, like kangaroos if you ignore the lack of tail, etc.

Then skunks/squirrels were added, while technically rodents, because of the big bushy tails. OK. I see this. ...Then we start getting more and more specific because it's popular at that exact time, which I sort of foresee as a problem in the future when that trend goes out and the new one comes in and we add more... very specific avatars.

Like... I think bears are coming up? If it's not this update the next? While I know it was from a survey and all, I keep trying to think of what bears can be other than bears. Um... bear, pandabear, owlbear... ... fatfurre. I don't know really.

Basically, I'm making a suggestion that furc tries to think, next time, of a more long-term demand than short term (see: cows being equines potentially, really).

For example, we're missing some basics. Furries with thick-but-long tails that are down, probably with tail rings. Think lemur, red panda, raccoon, and a lot of creatures that clambor through the trees. In fact, a lot of animals could use a bushy-tailed avatar that's not raised like a skunk. I know I was always looking for one, and I know someone who quit furc because there wasn't a raccoon, which is a very popular fandom animal.

I'm surprised bugs/bugges haven't been demanded. I've seen plenty of them. If they're not in big demand right now I can see why they aren't used, but if they were shaded right to look more like a centipede bug than, say, a bee, it could possibly also pass as a naga/snake/whatever. There's been a big call for scalies that aren't dragons, but always the problem that people would probably just tack wings on a scaly and try to be a dragon, so if it was clearly not a dragon, then maybe?

I don't know, just tossing some ideas into the pool here. I'm just waiting for the day that I can play a red panda, dammit.

I'd ask that other people try to throw their two cents into the lot about useful long-term avatars, too, for the future.

[Lo'Feld]

I'm kind of amazed too since I've noticed an increase in bug characters lately. Yesterday I saw two bees and a yellow jacket. But the licklyness of them adding bugs is about as likely as them adding humans. Though I still try to wrap my mind around how a reptile like a dragon works into the fur cover comunity, or a pheonix for that matter.

[Zenthus]

Well, dragons do sell pretty well.

Dragons sell especially well in the, uh, gay community. I know that sounds stereotypal but it's just TRUE.

"It's funny cuz it's true."

Anyway. Another thing that sells like hotcakes: Draw a red panda and you might as well be drawing a 25$ bill. That's why I'm suggesting the long, ringed tail that could pass as panda/raccoon/lemur/wtfever. I think it could also pass as some bushy-tailed cat species if people wanted to use it instead of the normal cat avatar.

[Kamose]

Then skunks/squirrels were added, while technically rodents, because of the big bushy tails. OK. I see this

Not to nitpick, but that's not quite right. Squirrels are rodents. (They belong to the family Sciuridae.) However, skunks are not rodents. They belong to the order Carnivora, family Mephitidae. (They're closer to Mustelidae than Rodentia.)

Getting back on topic, DEP normally chooses its new avatars on the bases of long-term demand and likelihood of being used. There is significant, long-lasting demand for additional animal Families or Orders. (I'm using those terms in the taxonomic sense.) While there may seem to be a greater variety of felines and canines, they're still classified at the Family level, just like the other avatars.

While some species are fads, there has always been a demand for bears (Ursidae). Bears are pretty specific -- there are only 8 species -- but you can also use them for pandas and other animals that look like bears.

As for the bovine avatar, it is not as specific as you think. The Bovidae family comprises dozens of species, banteng/Bali cattle, bison, bongo, buffalo, cattle/ox, kudu, water buffalo, and yak. You can also use the bovine avatar for minotaurs.

A raccoon or ringtail (Procyonine?) could be a nice addition. It is general enough to be used by many people but specific enough not to be covered by our existing avatars. Although lemurs are not closely related to raccoons, you could use the raccoon avatar for a lemur.

[Zenthus]

I always just figured that Bovines were easily covered under equines, esp since most bovine avatars would be obviously male, unless uh... you drew in huge udders, then it'd be obviously female. =/

I guess my big nitpick is what I can tell they're going to be used for. .-. Right after their creation everyone's gonna be running around going "MOOOOO", there's going to be tons of people in FurN with big milky cowboobs, and then there's going to be big "awesome" hulking minotaur dudes everywhere that are invincible.

...It just sort of makes me cry a little inside.

Bah. but yeah, I find that the racoon/ringtail/whatever avatar would be very flexible, b/c a lot of people want bushy-tail characters that aren't necessarily skunks. The closest thing had to that right now is the canine, and I know a lot of felines that have bushy tails, for example, so making a canine with a bushy tail for a feline could be... strange. It could be a very flexible avatar.

[Requiem]

i'd absolutely love to see a ringtail lemur or raccoon, av, personally.

[Emerald Flame]

I'm kind of amazed too since I've noticed an increase in bug characters lately. Yesterday I saw two bees and a yellow jacket. But the licklyness of them adding bugs is about as likely as them adding humans. Though I still try to wrap my mind around how a reptile like a dragon works into the fur cover comunity, or a pheonix for that matter.

Bugges, Wyrmes and various other kinds of species are in the Furcadia backstory. You can read about that on the RP pages.

[Black Rain]

there's going to be tons of people in FurN with big milky cowboobs, and then there's going to be big "awesome" hulking minotaur dudes everywhere that are invincible.

There are already characters like that in FurN however, Cows are not just used for the pleasure of others. There are many dreams that are non-yiff related that, could use characters like a bovine E.X Bovines such as bulls, are commonly used in blacksmithing. They fit perfectly for the job if you think about it. And, not just blacksmithing but, farming and, hunting. They fit in all sorts of storys and, backgrounds. The female spieces of the bovine could be seen as a soft and, gentle/motherly like. So, they can be morelikely in, houses as housewives or, in stores selling things prehaps, a gentle female milk-cow selling flowers in a flower shop. That would be ideal for a nice roleplay if you think about it. Don't just look on the downside of things. You should look on the bright side of things as well. Male Bears are as well the ideal type for blacksmithing and, hunting.

*edit*

The Male Cow (Bull) and, Male bears are as well perfect for mid-evil times as, guards or, warriors.

[Kyudo]

I think seeing a bug avatar would be really weird. It would be way too small to see unless it was jumbo-sized, and jumbo-sized bugs seem a bit odd. What would a "feral" bug look like? Two black pixels..?

[Kamose]

I think seeing a bug avatar would be really weird. It would be way too small to see unless it was jumbo-sized, and jumbo-sized bugs seem a bit odd.

I suppose the bug could be anthropomorphic -- Bugges are -- but there's a reason that we don't see giant insects in nature. (An animal with an exoskeleton can only get so big.)

[Zenthus]

Well, the Furcadian T-Shirt displays a bug-morph on it.



There's typically suspension of disbelief about most anthros (EG: What's their skeletal structure like, anyway? I suppose that's the same kind of thing people ignore with say, anime art though. Oh god the jaw bones!) and how plausible they are in the real world because, um, most of them aren't.



The day I see a horse walking by on two legs is the day I stop taking my pills.

[Damadar]

I'm fairly certain I remember Talzhemir working on a "Bugge" avatar once a while back. (The "I like big BUGS" remix of Sir Mixalot's song came around because of this...)

there's going to be tons of people in FurN with big milky cowboobs, and then there's going to be big "awesome" hulking minotaur dudes everywhere that are invincible.

Passing fad. Happened with bunnies and Squirrels too. It'll happen with every species that gets inroduced.

Beyond that, when avatars are added, I'm fairly certain that they go for those that look substantially different from those they already have. More than just the Avatars, you have to look into Ports as well.What will look best, what will drve more players to play, etc. etc.

[Zenthus]

Actually, as someone who frequents FurN under the hopes of finding real, mature adults (fat damn chance these days), I can honestly tell you that not only have the "fads" of bunnies being sex-fiends, or horses having big . . . hooves not died down, but they perpetuate themselves.

What originally starts almost as a joke or set off by a few buffoons gets picked up by another few buffoons, and those buffoons think it's a brilliant idea and so forth.

I think the only fad that'd really die down is "Moooooo" because it'd get labeled spam and handled, but the cliche character types are bound to just grow like weeds, because that's what happens with twink character types. They spawn. It's like a horror movie or something.

[Island Joe]

The bear can be interpreted as so...

Bigfoot
Grizzly Adams
Fuzzy Wuzzy
Smokey the Bear
Yogi

The list goes on and on. I think that the bear might be the greatest avatar ever.

[Island Joe]

I lied.

Bovine. You've got cow-tipping, rodeos, milkings.



Then again, with bears, you can get some bear-baiting going on.



I lied again, I don't know which is better.

[Damadar]

Actually, as someone who frequents FurN under the hopes of finding real, mature adults (fat damn chance these days), I can honestly tell you that not only have the "fads" of bunnies being sex-fiends, or horses having big . . . hooves not died down, but they perpetuate themselves.

What originally starts almost as a joke or set off by a few buffoons gets picked up by another few buffoons, and those buffoons think it's a brilliant idea and so forth.

I think the only fad that'd really die down is "Moooooo" because it'd get labeled spam and handled, but the cliche character types are bound to just grow like weeds, because that's what happens with twink character types. They spawn. It's like a horror movie or something.

First, if you stop by FURN and don't find real, mature adults, you're clearly not looking in the right places. Off the top of my head, I know 5 dreams where you can find mature level-headed adults to talk with and hang out with. Secondly, as a guy that practically "Lived" in FurN for 2 years, I can tell you that over time, the overall number of "Yiffunnies" and "Studs" has went down a lot. =p The Yiffy Skunks died out pretty fast too after the Squirrel update.

Of course, to the person who doesn't run a sex dream (As my friends did/do) and just wanders aimlessly, you'll likely see quite a few of them. However, as I've come to notice, Felines are the most "Sex oriented" avatars around.

I suggest that, if you're looking for adults that are mature, you stay away from anything that suggest Slavery, or sex in the name. Bar's are iffy. You gotta feel them out on your own.

[Celes Chere#SM]

Actually, as someone who frequents FurN under the hopes of finding real, mature adults (fat damn chance these days), I can honestly tell you that not only have the "fads" of bunnies being sex-fiends, or horses having big . . . hooves not died down, but they perpetuate themselves.

What originally starts almost as a joke or set off by a few buffoons gets picked up by another few buffoons, and those buffoons think it's a brilliant idea and so forth.

I think the only fad that'd really die down is "Moooooo" because it'd get labeled spam and handled, but the cliche character types are bound to just grow like weeds, because that's what happens with twink character types. They spawn. It's like a horror movie or something.

Actually Zen,I agree with Damadar. I have found many mature individuals in FurN. I have been hanging around there for about 4 years now(I do own a Guild on the Map--that is not Sex oriented) and I have seen the population of Yiffy Bunnies,Huge Endowed Furres of all types die down a lot. There will always be that type around anywhere,but they are not as frequent as they once were.
I disagree that Felines are the most 'sex oriented avatars' around though. I find that it is equal in species really,there may be a few more of one species then another,but the level of those who are 'sex oriented' stay about the same,the levels are about equal in all Species. It is not the fault of the species either,but their players,who seem to think R-rated means sex all the time. An R rating means extreme and graphic violence,sex,langauge,etc. not just Sex.
But,that is neither here nor there,FurN is slightly overrun by sexual based dreams,but there are many that are not based on that,you need to try out every dream before making an observation that FurN is overrun by sex.

[Casper]

In regards to all posts against/bashing/mocking FurN: it's an adult area. It was made for 18+ situations, be it OOC talking or IC interaction. If you don't like the idea of a big-breasted bovine then ignore it and don't play as one. If you're not mature enough to do so, don't go to FurN.

[Zenthus]

My dream is a place for "mature adults" without a focus on yiff: community RP, community anything. We hold three weekly events, one monthly event, we give away prizes, play games, you name it. While the front area is a bar, that's just to promote community, because it's an OOC area and people like gathering around a bar as opposed to wandering through a forest or a bunch of rooms or WTFever to get to said community spot.

Every day I see a massive amount of traffic of people with dicks as long as my entire arm, or whatnot. It hasn't died down. Maybe it's because I'm OCD about checking people's profiles that I notice it. Hell, someone came into my dream with the profile, "Sex I want sex" the other day. Didn't stick around for long, but it's more or less the type of people who come through more often than not. If it's not an obvious type of advertisement, it's [in heat], or something else.

I've seen some pretty disgusting things on the main map that I can't even talk about in depth on the forums, really, while keeping it family-oriented. Yiffy skunks, um... not really died down. I click everyone I come across. I don't know why, it's a habit. Basically, someone described themselves, very detailed, sexually active, and as sloppy seconds, right in front of you. And it's not the first or last time I'd seen that.

Maybe I should just get out of my habit of checking profiles of everyone I can catch, but with a mild OCD, that's harder than it sounds. That aside, I can say the rate of things isn't going down, it's more the interest in checking them out has, in most people, IMO.

And while FurN may be an adult area, it certainly doesn't feel like adults. It feels like a bunch of underagers playing out their fantasies. The more mature you are, eventually you figure out people aren't perfect, and don't have penises the size of your arm or breasts the size of watermelons with a waist the size of a thimble. It's just so. You get tired of seeing the barbie dolls and kens, eventually, and in the off chance you do want to yiff you might want a realistic figure to do it with. Not all of us have macro or herm fetishes. Most of these kids wouldn't touch what they list in their rabbit hole profiles with a twenty foot barge pole in real life because of how disturbing it is, but all of furn are severe deviants. Seeing it only on the level of 64-pixel high nongraphical images (or nonviolent, whatever, if you will) makes it easier to hide behind. If they were actually seeing it I doubt this would be going on.

[Casper]

Whether or not the inhabitants of FurN are adults (and we know a lot aren't), it doesn't change that it IS an adult area, and so complaining about the general populace (and the upcoming avatars that will affect this) would be like whining about not wanting to go to a candy store because there would be children.

I'm not saying there isn't some seriously weird stuff. There is, but that's why FurN is there.