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2015-12-03 - Sprite Update (Round Two)

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The wings of Splits were bothering me so much >< How were they even supposed to work, if at all?!

 

Lovely revamps here.<3

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The thing is not so much that there is anything wrong with the new sprites per se, some will like & others won't that's just a matter of opinion but what I really don't get is why do we HAVE to keep updating the older sprites?

 

Sure the newer one may be technically 'better' either in shading/anatomy or what have you but very often in the changes it loses the character of the original sprites even in supposedly minor changes and never mind huge ones (golds) and it completely changes the lineages that people have worked on sometimes for years.

 

I know not everyone builds lineages but I am getting truly fed up with this happening over and over again.

Totally agreeing with this.

 

After having a sort of panic attack at seeing the silver updated yesterday, I've come back on feeling calm enough to post.

 

I haven't been on DC as much as I used to for the past year or two, but the main reason I still haven't abandoned it entirely was due to the number of lineage projects I still had going on. Most of them were checkered lineages with silvers in them.

 

Now with the updates, the lineages just don't look as pretty as I once thought them to be, so I am leaning towards stopping all the ongoing silver lineage projects I had.

 

I remember being very disappointed when the gold sprites had changed, but I told myself that I would probably get used to them and forget about the old sprite soon enough.

That still hasn't happened for me.

It had led to me stopping a bunch of projects with golds in them, and to this day I still find myself wishing the change hadn't taken place.

 

So I don't really think I'll ever find silvers as appealing as before the update.

 

If the sprite had been of a new dragon, I probably would have liked them, but I am pretty much disappointed that they are a replacement.

 

Which then makes me feel worse, because the spriters must have put in a lot of effort to make them and I am not appreciating the hard work done to 'better' the DC site, thus making me feel like a really bad person sad.gif

 

 

And as Lilali put it, "why do we HAVE to keep updating the older sprites?"

My main objective in DC is creating lineages, but with updates on older sprites like this, I end up feeling like I just wasted all my time for nothing.

 

What is so 'wrong' about the older sprites that they have to be 'updated' to look so different to the original? You can say that the silvers haven't been changed that much in appearance, but to some people (like me) the change is just too glaring.

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I personmally like them both, I can see why others don't but at least acknowledge the time and effort that went into updating them and give out constructive criticism instead of simply "I don't like it" I know some spriters are more thick skinned than others, still doesn't give you the right to slate them hard. Be thankful we got anything.

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I really like both the new splits and the new silvers. The old silver didn't look so much silver as grey. These look like shiny silver now to me. The biggest thing I see is that now a lot of the other dragons look kind of flat next to them.

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You're still imposing human ideas of gender essentialism onto the silvers by saying that small horns and a more slight frame are inherently feminine.

 

In many reptiles, especially snakes, females are bulkier and heavier because they bear the young, while males are smaller (sometimes startlingly so!). Their idea of feminine is thick, large, and muscular.

 

In hyenas, "feminine" means large, aggressive, ornery, and cocky while "masculine" means meek and obedient.

 

Masculinity and femininity differ wildly between types of animal based largely on their social and reproductive strategies. You cannot call a male silver feminine due to its body shape and expression unless it's explicitly stated what physiological traits are coded to each gender (basically, when it comes to what we know about silvers, the only way you could get a "feminine" male silver is for it to have a pink mane).

 

The word I think you're looking for to describe the male is "gracile".

Odeei makes a very valid point here.

 

What is 'masculine' or feminine' varies by species. For all that we know the SILVERS themselves may have different idea of what gender means than we do ( keeping in mind that our dragons are supposed to be intelligent, sentient beings...) So... I can honestly say that I LIKE the silver update. smile.gif I bet they will look lovely with the silver LHes, too, now, shiny as they are.

 

ANYWAY, thanks spriter for all your hard work on these, they are beautiful.

 

Mt take? You are never, EVERgoing toplease everyone in casesliek this... if you update some will complain,a nd if you DON'T update some will complain.

 

Puts the spriters in a stinky situation, I have to say.

Edited by Silverswift

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After taking an hour's break to play video games and let my brain cool down a bit, I think that, while I still would've preferred a different sprite be used, I could live with these ones if they aren't so brilliantly bright / washed out looking--like, if they had ever so slightly duller colors and more, well, sprite-y outlines on them. Mmm, to put it in better words, the silver lunar heralds--by the same spriter, too--are almost the same bright color, but still have very clearly defined outlines and look like sprites. The new ones don't look like sprites as much at a quick glance. I think it's that almost undefined quality + the super bright new color that have so altered the look of them compared to the old silvers for me, and why my silver lineages (esp. the male silver lineages) now look so bad in my eyes compared to how they were before.

Pulling this up again.

 

I could live with the new ones, even if they aren't my favorite, if only they didn't look so drastically different in lineage view. Dozens of lineages I've worked for years breeding, trading and building now look garish in my eyes, and it's disheartening as heck.

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I agree that the lineage view is rather *too* different, even if the sprites are lovely as they are. Maybe we could get a new lineage view pic of them that looks a lot more similar to the way the old silver sprites looked in lineages?

 

I'm not asking for a change in the sprite or something like that, merely that the lineage view of the new silver sprites shows the same part of the dragon (and only the same part) as was shown in the lineages with the "old" silver sprites.

 

 

I still love the new shiny and silver look. I mean, the silvers now look actually like silver, all shiny and beautiful! And I love those manes, too. wub.gif

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I seriously hope that the new Silvers are going to be less popular than the old ones. The new male looks gorgeous with Mistletoes and that means that I have to catch two CB Silvers before Christmas in order to start this project. I usually even don't see Silver eggs in biomes, but maybe now... laugh.gif

 

I love these updates - especially the new Two-Headed dragons, they are great! I will miss a few features of the old Silvers, for example, the way their manes looked, but the new ones are really beautiful - shiny, silvery and glowing. In my opinion, they look much better in many lineages (on the other hand, they look a bit pale with older sprites, but maybe it's just a first impression).

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I seriously hope that the new Silvers are going to be less popular than the old ones. The new male looks gorgeous with Mistletoes and that means that I have to catch two CB Silvers before Christmas in order to start this project. I usually even don't see Silver eggs in biomes, but maybe now... laugh.gif

 

I love these updates - especially the new Two-Headed dragons, they are great! I will miss a few features of the old Silvers, for example, the way their manes looked, but the new ones are really beautiful - shiny, silvery and glowing. In my opinion, they look much better in many lineages (on the other hand, they look a bit pale with older sprites, but maybe it's just a first impression).

O.o Oh, yes, the silver boys WOULD look LOVELY with the Mistletoes, too. I might ahveto do that come Christmas,now...

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I personmally like them both, I can see why others don't but at least acknowledge the time and effort that went into updating them and give out constructive criticism instead of simply "I don't like it" I know some spriters are more thick skinned than others, still doesn't give you the right to slate them hard. Be thankful we got anything.

I have seen mostly constructive criticism in this thread. Most critics know that a huge time and effort went in spriting and me as one of the critics want to make clear again that I do not want to hurt LadyLyzar's feelings or attack her or her art. She is definitely one of my favorite spriters and I love her work. I am more than happy that talented people like her are working hard to give us those wonderful sprites.

 

But it is in art's nature that it can not please everybody looking at it. Even a simple "I do not like it" shouldn't slate an artist hard. I do not know how many times a day my personal taste keeps me from liking something, most of the times I have no explanation why exactly, but still I do not want to hurt somebody (maybe personal taste is enough of an explanation sometimes?). I just want to state my opinion without having a bad concience towards the artist. The simple truth is that I (and many others) have problems to keep disappointment to myself.

So...all I wanted to say it that criticism (even without obvious reason) is not always meant as a personal attack in the artists direction.

Edited by drabrugon

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This update is just great. Sad though that the silvers don't look at each other anymore

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Going to be honest, I'm not a fan of either update. I especially miss the female Silver. Her face was pretty and full of character, and this one just feels generic. Though the more I look at the sprites, the more they grow on me, so soon I'll probably love them (except the missing happy.gif on the female Silver). And the Two-headed looks, unfortunately, generic. My female Two-headed looks like she's going to crumple. And the wings look a little too bony and straight-lined...

 

Sorry, spriters. I wish I loved them more. unsure.gif

Going to go back on what I said before. I rather like these updates! The biggest thing I miss is the female's old expression, but that's getting negligible. Thanks, spriters! Great job!

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Hmm. Whle I'm getting used to the female Silvers, I have to agree with the lack of over-all aggressiveness that the old male sprite had. There was a reason I named my Silver CB male 'Tidus', based on a character from Final Fantasy X - he had this 'bring it on!' feel to him that I absolutely adored. That was at the forefront of my mind when I did my versions. But this one looks more like he's going 'eehhhhh maybe not' instead of 'fight me bro!'.

 

Maybe it's the way he's tilted backwards instead of forwards (I'd love to see an edited head), and how he looks like he's trying to get away from something, instead of challenging whatever lay before him.

Hmmmm.... Yea, I think you've nailed it, here. The new male looks less "aggressive" because he seems to be rearing back, and not lunging forward.

 

Maybe rotating the existing sprite 30 degrees forward or so would help? That way, he seems to be "pushing off" his hind feed to lunge forward.

 

I can't test it myself, alls I have is Paint at the moment. xd.png

 

Cheers!

C4.

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The male silver look downright adorable...I wish I had more of them now xd.png The female looks lovely too, though I miss how her eyes used to be, and how her legs were tucked but otherwise they are both darling and look shiny now ❤

 

I didn't expect or even think about the original two-headed getting updated, I do like the update though. Heck I didn't even notice the difference on my scroll while scrolling until I checked this post after seeing my female silver lol It feels like the original sprite just with a bit more detail and a different wing position.

 

Overall I like them both, my grave check with silvers looks so cool: Click

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Personally, I think all the new sprites look a heck of a lot better. It makes it easier to tell a silver egg from a storm in the AP, and the new sprites look almost ethereal. I'm super down with this clown. I liked the old ones just fine, but the new ones are more to my personal taste.

 

I've never had a strong opinion on the two headed dragons, but I think they look very nice. Might start snagging or breeding a few more just to check out the new babby sprites.

 

Wonder if the Reds are gonna get an update someday- I love how heraldic their sprites look currently, but the anatomy is a little wonky and it bugs the biologist part of my brain.

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Hmmmm.... Yea, I think you've nailed it, here. The new male looks less "aggressive" because he seems to be rearing back, and not lunging forward.

 

Maybe rotating the existing sprite 30 degrees forward or so would help? That way, he seems to be "pushing off" his hind feed to lunge forward.

 

I can't test it myself, alls I have is Paint at the moment. XD

 

Cheers!

C4.

Well, unfortunately rotating an entire sprite is a bit impossible without redoing it completely - turns the whole thing super duper blurry, I've tried it myself XD But a simple redux of the face/head/neck to be pushed forward would do wonders for the male, I think.

 

I also think the manes on both could be made to look more like wild fur, instead of hairsprayed, permed fluff? But that might just be me seeing it. XD I think I said that as a crit somewhere before in more detail, but it kinda didn't happen (I might also be wrong because I just woke up)

Edited by Verridith

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After sleeping on it, the splits I can deal with. I'll eventually get used to their now huge body-builder look, especially since I know that comes down to personal preference of disliking bulging muscles on anything. But if I think about them like the pit-bulls of dragons, it seems to help. (talking about body style, don't misinterpret that as something else somehow). It also helps I enjoy their wings. I said it before, I'll say it again. Very nice wings Odeen.

 

But the silvers still stand as too shiny to me. Yes, I get they're meant to glow. Yes, I know the old sprites were more gray than silver. But it's still that they're extremely bright and their shadows extremely deep. Which was probably done to mimic the shadows on actual metal, which causes mixed feelings. They aren't literally made of silver.

 

The new silver female I think will be the only one of the two I can get used to, so long as I don't look at her hind leg. It looks painful, like she would have to be straddling something to cause her hip to be out that far, and for her leg to be out stretched like that. Were it her back mane was just slightly more to the left, so her body slightly more rotated, it would probably take away that painful look.

 

The male... While on his own, should I see him as just a sprite and not the Silver sprite, he's nice. I like him. But as a silver... I don't think I'll be able to get used to him. He looks afraid now, and very horse-ish. Probably because of the very large cheek he has, and the defined chest. And for some reason I'm having the issue that his mane looks detached from his body.. I think that was mentioned many pages back, and suggested due to the shadow line that runs with it.

 

I'm not sure. I still don't know how to process this, and I know it'll probably be dismissed as my complaining and I'll be told to be grateful and why can't I just like them. But it's one of those situations of, had these sprites been introduced like the New Pinks, I would've been all over them. But because instead, they were just replaced, I can't jump on with them. They're too fuzzy in lineage view, and overall just. Too soft. Many of the dragons I was going to pair off with silvers (once I caught a CB male. after 5 years. -headdesk-) now look... bad. Next to them. They look amazing next to the Heralds, but that's basically the only pair I've seen I like.

 

TLDR; Splits are now pit bulls. Female silver hind leg looks painful, but will get used to. Male silver is now an afraid, shiny horse. Lineages that depended on the sharp clear shading of old silvers, now look very strange with soft and gradient.

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Ehhhh.... no gusta >.<

 

The more dragons are released with the sprite updates, I kinda fear more about what the next sprite update will destroy.

 

I mean I love the holly update and the split head detailing, but the rest... >.<

 

-huddles in the /so many of my lineages are destroyed with this/ corner-

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I personmally like them both, I can see why others don't but at least acknowledge the time and effort that went into updating them and give out constructive criticism instead of simply "I don't like it" I know some spriters are more thick skinned than others, still doesn't give you the right to slate them hard. Be thankful we got anything.

From what I've seen from the numerous posts on this board, many people are acknowledging the time and effort that has gone into the update, but that does not necessarily equate to loving the fact that they have now replaced the previous sprites.

 

I have also posted a long complaint of how the changes do not agree with me, and I am sorry if it came across as me just being petulant and ungrateful. I understand that a lot of effort has been put into the updating of the new sprites, and I do not mean to demean the spriters for the chage, but I cannot simply let everything down and say that I am happy with the changes. Heck, I'm having trouble even trying to be content with them.

 

As I have mentioned before, I would have been fine with the sprites had they been introduced as a new species, or maybe even like the way the new pinks replaced the old/bright pinks, but the fact that they have permanently replaced the silvers disturb me.

 

I already had worries about lineages that I made changing before, after almost every past update on sprites actually. Despite already having had worries, this update still managed to shake me pretty badly as I had many completed and ongoing lineage projects with silvers, which I am sad to say, does not look as aesthetically pleasing to me anymore so I do not see the point in continuing.

 

I suppose one could say, "then just stop making lineages and appreciate the dragons as they are" but that just takes out all the fun of DC for me. I had stopped playing DC for a while, and the main reason I came back and sort of stayed back was because of lineages. Now I don't really know what to do sad.gif

Edited by SharonLilly

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I must wonder then, why don't more people have an issue in Pokemon, where the sprite appearance changes almost every game (it's even 3D models now). If sprite changes/updates were a problem wouldn't then far less people would transfer their previous content to the new game?

 

Or perhaps there is a community of people who don't because they don't like the changes, that I just never met. And I don't mean the old "gen wunners" mess and all that stuff, only talking about the sprites.

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I can't help but absolutely love these updates, just like what happened with the new Holly sprites. I especially like it how the Splits look now, they look so mighty and powerful. Feels almost like I should get more of them immediately.

And for the Silvers, I really like them too. They look very great in the lineages I've seen. They also resemble the word silver way better now, as there's more shine in them now. Also, I haven't been too fond of the female Silver sprite until now - now I have no need to complain about getting females instead of males. biggrin.gif

It does take time to get used to these, but I certainly don't dislike them. They are awesome. Great job!

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I must wonder then, why don't more people have an issue in Pokemon, where the sprite appearance changes almost every game (it's even 3D models now). If sprite changes/updates were a problem wouldn't then far less people would transfer their previous content to the new game?

 

Or perhaps there is a community of people who don't because they don't like the changes, that I just never met. And I don't mean the old "gen wunners" mess and all that stuff, only talking about the sprites.

DO you have lineages there ? (I have NO idea about that stuff !) It is the linages that are the huge issue, for many of us.

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The sprites are ok... I guess with the silver I was hoping for tweaking not an overhaul. The hatchlings probably bother me the most. Like they are leaning forward too much or checking their watches lol. >.<

I liked the Holly update, the new male Horse, the Whiptails, Splits and even the Golds, but the silvers will just take time.

Edited by jesterboohoo

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The sprites are ok... I guess with the silver I was hoping for tweaking not an overhaul. The hatchlings probably bother me the most. Like they are leaning forward too much or checking their watches lol. >.<

I liked the Holly update, the new male Horse, the Whiptails, Splits and even the Golds, but the silvers will just take time.

Okay. I can deal with weird hatchlings if I see them as looking at their watches. I can deal with this. XD

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