Free Avian/Reptilian Avatars Options

[Versel Thurirl]

I was on furcadia when dragons were originally introduced, and I'm surprised it's taken this long for something like this to happen. I don't want to be a dragon and while the idea is cool I'm not interested in being a phoenix. I just want to be something with scales or feathers (no frills) that will keep me from having to explain that I am not a canine/feline etc. :/

[Amy Gotcha]

They are working on free scalies eventually, I think (after the graphics update and deer...) as they are canon. As to featheries, I suspect they aren't going to do those for free as they aren't canon anywhere and the phoenix is already a pretty general avian (if you ignore the fire part).

[Rat The Unloved]

Amy, where have you seen reference to this? The idea of free scalies (let alone ungulates/deer) is news to me, and one might think I'd heard something about it...

[Kamose]

As to featheries, I suspect they aren't going to do those for free as they aren't canon anywhere and the phoenix is already a pretty general avian (if you ignore the fire part).

Talzhemir used to say that there will be a free avian avatar called a "Byrdde." However, in the April 2009 Town Meeting, Emerald Flame said that she doubts whether there will be any default birds. ("I'm sure there will be other ones but i doubt there will be a default one.")

In the Dragonlands, "birds, insects, and reptiles occupy the position of the lower animals in Furcadia." Birds are not sentient (unless they're Ferians). Birds are used for food, transportation (Ostrixes and Scarhawks), and bird-wool (herdbirds). If Byrddes were added, they would be a lost race from a primordial part of Drakoria.

Amy, where have you seen reference to this? The idea of free scalies (let alone ungulates/deer) is news to me, and one might think I'd heard something about it...

So far, I haven't seen anything definitive about the addition of a free reptilian avatar. The most favorable statement I could find is from the April 2009 Town Meeting, when Emerald Flame said, "Lizards are very frequently asked for! #SA Put your 2 cents worth for them on the Suggestions forums. We are looking there all the time #SA"

However, Talzhemir has made statements in the past that deer were at the top of her "Next-Do list" (along with other animals that have since been added). Talzhemir has a lot of influence over the choice of new avatars. (At the same meeting, Emerald Flame noted that "Talz decides most of the avatars we will add.")

The very next Avatar to be added is going to be the Squirrel (stretchable for Skunks because of the floofy tail). After that, the list is topped by Cows, Deer, and Bugges.

(Although I normally appreciate input, your suggestion for what to add next will probably fall on deaf ears until all of the above are completed and added. :wink: )

Talzhemir's FAQ:

20. "Could you add [this new Race] to Furcadia?"
--Furcadia has so few Races because every new Race adds considerably to the size of the download. Every second longer it goes is a moment in which the download might fail. If that happens, the downloader is more than 50% likely to give up on Furcadia forever.
The ones we started with were chosen by going over FurryMUCK data. These six covered over 95% of FurryMUCK's population. As the Internet itself changes (such that bandwidth is MUCH higher for even the slowest users) then we consider adding others. The current Next-Do list is:

• Deer
• Bugges
• Byrddes (Avians)

Although I normally appreciate input, your suggestion for what to add next will probably fall on deaf ears. If you'd like to have your say, please add to the official pinned Forum thread on Suggestions/Avatars.

Furre!: A Comprehensive List of Explanations

There will be provision in future for requesting additions to the above lists. Here is a portion of the current waiting list of Orders, not in order of likelihood to be added: squirrel/skunk, bear, rabbit, deer.

[Rat The Unloved]

Well, we've got cows and Bugges. Here's hoping!

[Amy Gotcha]

Amy, where have you seen reference to this? The idea of free scalies (let alone ungulates/deer) is news to me, and one might think I'd heard something about it...

I recall a really old list of species to be added to Furcadia on Talz's site years back based on the most popular species in FurryMUCK circa 1995(?). Talz has adhered to this list pretty closely so far for free avatars. I tried to find the whole text on the wayback machine, but only could find the small clip put into the FAQ that I know appeared after the list was removed from the site. I do remember, however, that it was really buried and hard to find to begin with. I've been kicking myself for years now, wishing I'd saved a copy of the page.

Either way, I mixed up the birds not being on the list. Sorry, there. I could have sworn scalies were somewhere on the list, though maybe Dragons "covered it".

[Versel Thurirl]

I do want to bring it to Furcadia's attention that there are lizard and naga avatar models that have already been created for use with furcadia. It's currently being utilized in the Furrabian Nights dream "The Golden Tether" through very good patching. You may want to speak to them about assimilating it into the main program, and perhaps rewarding them for their work.

http://www.greychurch.com/board/index.php

I believe the owner's name is Tempest.

[Versel Thurirl]

Addendum: I just became aware they also have non-anthro chinchillas and anthropomorphic sharks. That's balls to the wall awesome.

[Kamose]

I do want to bring it to Furcadia's attention that there are lizard and naga avatar models that have already been created for use with furcadia. It's currently being utilized in the Furrabian Nights dream "The Golden Tether" through very good patching. You may want to speak to them about assimilating it into the main program, and perhaps rewarding them for their work.

DEP checks Roamheart and other sources for promising artists. However, (with a few exceptions), DEP normally contracts with artists directly (and pays them) to do a specific avatar, rather than attempting to acquire the "rights" to preexisting avatars.

Much of this policy is driven by quality control. Furcadia's official avatars have specific requirements concerning their perspective and style. Although there are some lovely player-made avatars, "very very few of the ones players make even come close to meeting the requirements for perspective, originality and such and would need us to do a whole lot of work on them."

They are contracted and paid for their work.

We do look at avatars that are on Roamheart and other sites for possible artists that would be able to make avatars for us, usually as Seasonals. We found Kaelin there and she's made several for us and is commisioned for more. Contests generally don't work well for these sorts of things as we have very specific requirements for avatars and very very few of the ones players make even come close to meeting the requirements for perspective, originality and such and would need us to do a whole lot of work on them.

Actually most avatars are not close enough to Furcadia style and specifications though and that is the biggest trouble. The very biggest trouble is that they are not in perspective. Over two and up one from every knee, shoulder, eartip, etc. If they aren't at least mostly in perspective we can't even begin to make them a Furcadia avatar. It's just plain easier to make them ourselves. Next is they shouldn't be made from another patch, even a default. We only add original art. Next is they should be special without being too far out there. Many tend to make avatars either very personal or they make them too plain to be mythicals. We aren't looking for base (free)avatars right now as we don't have the room without a rewrite of the programming and the ability to add the wings separately.

Ferian style avatars are the most common and probably the very worst ones for not being in perspecive or not having usable animation.

There is also the issue of the upcoming graphics update. DEP is reluctant to add any new avatars that are drawn in the "old" way, because this increases the workload for the artists who are updating the existing avatars.

The main trouble we have right now, especially with the anthro avatars, is that we are currently starting the very difficult conversion to 24-bit avatars that are cut up into many pieces, have very different shading and have many animation frames that are not currently part of Furcadia. We cannot add any new avatars that are not made in this new way or we will never get them all ready. Already all the current ones must be redone for this and the few that will come out between now and the 24-bit update have to be done both in the new way and the old way.

Even when you find a good artist, personalities sometimes clash. DEP prefers artists who are easy to work with and fit in with the rest of the team. After all, the official avatars undergo a rigorous critique, and many changes are often made before the avatar is ready to be released to the players.

There's also a lot of artists that no matter how good they are, we would not work with them because they would not fit well with our team due to personality conflicts.

[Rat The Unloved]

Ditto to everything Kamose has said. Personally the only avatars I've seen out there that are of default quality are either already in the game, or created by DEP staff/Associates. Many avatars are extremely beautiful, but just aren't quite in perfect perspective, or don't quite animate just so.

With the quality complaints and critiques already posted over the default artwork, imagine the flamewars if things that were not created under the same, rigorous, scrutiny were to be included!

[Emerald Flame]

It should be added that if artists feel that they could work with our team and feel their art is strong enough they can apply to be a Pixel and then later a Pixel Master. We only work with Pixel Masters on official work right now. We aren't really looking for new avatar artists right now but we can always use the help with the 32-bit conversion, main map patches, ad banners, attachment and the many other art bits that the Pixel Masters help with. :)

[Sanne]

I do want to bring it to Furcadia's attention that there are lizard and naga avatar models that have already been created for use with furcadia. It's currently being utilized in the Furrabian Nights dream "The Golden Tether" through very good patching. You may want to speak to them about assimilating it into the main program, and perhaps rewarding them for their work.

http://www.greychurch.com/board/index.php

I believe the owner's name is Tempest.

The avatars created for TGT will -never- be sold, given out or available for use outside of TGT itself. I'm pretty sure the naga, as it is displayed in TGT right now, will never become part of the Furcadia's main patch even if DEP bought pre-existing avatars.

(As a P.S., the owners of TGT are The Mint Mink, #Sa/Chow and #Sb/Leo. #Sb is nicknamed Tempest, but for as far as I know he doesn't own that specific alt name.)

[Weremagnus]

I do want to bring it to Furcadia's attention that there are lizard and naga avatar models that have already been created for use with furcadia. It's currently being utilized in the Furrabian Nights dream "The Golden Tether" through very good patching. You may want to speak to them about assimilating it into the main program, and perhaps rewarding them for their work.

http://www.greychurch.com/board/index.php

I believe the owner's name is Tempest.

Hey I made them lizards at TGT!
I did the sharks and birds as well.
But yah those nagas belong to The Mint Mink.

[Rom Emu. Jackal]

Hey I made them lizards at TGT!
I did the sharks and birds as well.
But yah those nagas belong to The Mint Mink.

Well? We lizard fans need a free lizard avatar! I love the Newts so cute~ =D

[Pokochi]

This suggestion is like, 7 or so years old. It gets told again every few months with plenty of support behind it, yet nothing happens. The programming of the color updates and the sprites of the avatars are not done by the same person, I suppose, so that's not an excuse they have other things to do. I also doubt they were busy for 7 years since it was first mentioned in 2003 or so.
They just don't seem to want to do it. If they wanted to, we'd already have them.

That's just my theory, maybe a DEP can prove it wrong.

But hey, at least we have friggin bugges, viruses, toasters, and bulbasaur-foxes, because that's what the furry community wants, amirite?

[super villain]

Smartassed comments are the way to get someone to do what you want.

[Gar]

Add a Mythical, Ferian or Noble: 1 Avatar file

Add a default 'free' species: 6 Avatar Files ( Normal, Ava+Classics, Ava+Tris, Ava+Butters, Ava+Primes, Ava+Bats )
Add a new Wing Type: 10 Avatar files ( New Wings + 10 free avatars)

Ack! Artbloat!

Solution: Attachments!

Attachments allow wings and avatars to be added just once, opening the door for many more wingtypes and missing defaults, as well as Ferian wings, wings on nobles, and more! ....now if only we could get attachments done.

Just to further clarify, say we added 3 new defaults (deer, scalies and an avian ) and 3 new wing types ( fairy wings, robotic wings, pizza wings[just pulling names out of thin air] ) that would add 57(!) more avatar files...almost as many avatar files as currently exist in Furcadia! After attachments, it would only add 6 files.

So...for now, we wait. Not from lack of want but for technical limitations.