Species X, Better than Species Y! Options

[Guest_Holly Barnett_*]

I want to see a 'null' species.  People can manually pick an unassigned species code.

Why?  Here's why:


So we dream patch enthusiasts can make custom species, without having to overwrite an existing one.

See, I want to make a dream with all the species, /and/ some.  I feel it's a cheat to people who play one species to be /forced/ to be another.  Especially if the patch sucks.  (Anyone who's been to FurN has seen the tired, lame, and craptastic patches done to death.)

A 'null' species would be excellent for this purpose.  It would allow people to be more in-tune.

Also, if several 'null' spaces were made, dream-patch owners would know the specific code to be a specific custom species.

This would be >too< awesome, as then you could be, say, a goat.  And noone else would know how.  (Well, to a degree)

The idea of a custom species, avatar, and port for a dream using the 'null species' idea is, IMHO, my best idea ever.  =3

I beleive there are a LOT of unassigned species possibility sets, too.  Especially since a lot of the special avatars use some kind of wierd non-alpha-numeric prop, like ! or #.


I speculate it may even be possible already, if there's a link to X code points to use X .fsh files.

But I doubt it.

Nonetheless.  What do y'all think?

It wouldn't cause many problems that I can formulate.  A null species could be, say, the default red and black mouse when on a non-patched map.  Just as what happens with an .ini containing an invalid species code.
Also, there's not much being added, so the client would increase like, what, 2KB?  If even that much?
And I don't think it would be that difficult to implement, either.





So, suggestions?  Constructive criticism?  Questions?

[Cassiel]

I like this idea.  I think it would be able to let people get their custom avatars, reduce the whole "forced to play one species to be another" thing, and all that.  It also gives more flexibility to patchers.  I think null species shouldn't be avaliable only in dreams though.  Put them everywhere!  That way, people who download player patches can use them to see whatever they want on people with null species set, kinda like skins from Quake games!

[Leticia]

It's not the first time something similar has beensuggested.  It is a wonderful idea.  There should be enough 'free' species that people can patch in female/male avatars if they really want.  (Usually what brings the idea up.)

My own idea which I've been repeating since the forums started is that we should be able to set two species: a primary species from one of the default five, and a secondary species, using some alphanumeric key (Like, say: Leticia_Feline_Mages) and then anyone with that patch available under that key would see you as it.  Anyone else would see you as your primary species.  Dream owners could then include Leticia_Feline_Mages.fsh in their patch, and anyone with that as their secondary species would show up as a feline mage in their dream.

[Daiktana]

It'd also be cool to have DS or simply by choice ability to change to this new species without restarting Furc.  I agree.  Great Idea without my suggestion.

[Linnea]

I'm sort of confused. What is a null species? Is it a non specified species? Sorry, but I'm lost.

[Merle]

If I understand correctly, Linnea, what's being discussed is a species that can't be used all over Furc: a dream-specific species, if you will. The same way you can add items to your dream as well as editing existing ones, only with species instead of items.

[Linnea]

Can't you already make species patches?

[Merle]

You can patch the existing species, so that if someone is a feline and wanders into the dream where felines are patched, they're forced to be a species other than the one they chose. What is suggested is the ability to make extra species, so that existing ones don't have to be overwritten.

[Guest_Holly Barnett_*]

Wow.  First time my post got more than 5 positive replies without any negatives.  =D


Well, a neutral 'i'm confused'.

If someone can explain better than me?  I'm not always good with words.

[Linnea]

If I understand what Merle said and that's what you meant then I support it, a lot.

[Cassiel]

Well, my response is a bit negative.  I don't think the null species should be limited to dreams.  I think it should be avaliable from creation!

[Guest_Morpius_*]

This is actually very easy to implement, there's just the nitty-gritty semantics:

Where do you choose 'species X'? Is it a flag, like the 'dragon' command? Or is it a flag in fured? Or an entirely separate species?

I believe you'll have to wait for registration for dreams such as promised with the Phoenix-speak scripting system.

And although coding-wise this is a trivial implementation, you'll probably have to pay through your teeth to let your dream do it.

[Mechan Stargazer]

Aahh, this is a wonderful idea. I'd love to see it implemented in the future!  Maybe then, we can put different species of felines and canines in dreams without having to write over the poor musties and lapines.

[Guest_Holly Barnett_*]

As I saw it, it could be a set thing.  And prolly better that way.

Someone can edit their INI and add like a symbol into their code to give the Null Species attribute when in a NS patched dream.  Else, remain the default.

[Ryhn]

From a patchers perspective, this suggestion is somewhat trivial and very powerful.  But so far what i've heard is a nightmare in terms of simple user operation.

Consider the brand new furre, logging into furcadia, and being asked to select a primary species and a secondary null species.  Are you serious?  Furcadia would just be asking for a kick in the pants.

many times you have to explain to people what an .ini file is, let alone ask them to modify it symbolicly.

It would require some changes to how clients use player.fsh files...but a more direct approach would be a message that pops up when you enter a dream, telling you: "your avatar has been patched in this dream, do you want to use the new avatar?, yes/no".  Essentialy everything your client needs, it has.  a downloaded patched player.fsh file... the always present default images in your default directory...the hard part would be getting the client to use the right images on the right furres.  Luckily you wouldn't be asking the end user to deal with such a problem.



This post has been edited by Ryhn: Apr 30 2000, 05:00 AM

[Guest_Holly Barnett_*]

Read my last post above.


This would allow people to pick is conciously.  I never said /force/ them to use it.

[Cassiel]

I think Rhyn's responding to Leticia's idea, not Holly's.

[Guest_Holly Barnett_*]

Oh, okay, sorry.

[Cassiel]

Well, the point of me saying that is Rhyn thinks he's against "this idea" when he's really against an extra idea inspired by this one.  This one is alot less complicated.

[Syami]

A big improvement on this would be to have the original furres but have a null species too so it'd be pickable, but you could be the others, also instead of getting off the patches what about browsing huh?