2021-03-13 - Sprite Updates

[Shokomon]

46 minutes ago, Zalmaki said:

I put together some quick GIFs to show off the differences, in case anyone was still wondering:

Lacunas:

• Pro:
  • I'm really digging the new shading and anatomy edits. It looks so good!
  • And the thicker body for the adult is really nice.
  • Also, on the S1, I can see the tiny little baby wings that weren't their before, which is cute.
• Con:
  • I fee like it's harder to see the S2 wings now. they blend in more with the tail and body, so they seem to vanish when I look at then.
  • Also, while I like the new shading, the contrast between the silver and green is lost, and harder to detect. It's far harder to differentiate between the two colors, especially on the hatchlings.
  • Lastly, I get some optical illusion with the wings that makes them harder to see on the adult, and I don't know why.
• Overall: I like!

Magi: 

• Pro:
  • OH MY GOSH. They look so good! The lines are much smoother, and the shadows/shading is much easier to see. And their anatomy is much more defined.
  • I can actually identify the limbs of the hatchlings now.
• Con:
  • The hatchlings look like balls. Granted, they have always looked like balls, but for some reason, it's so much more apparent to me with the new shading.
• Overall: I like!

Sakurahana:

• Pro:
  • The wings are bigger and the details are so much easier to see. The face is also slighter bigger and easier to see as well. 
  • I like the brightened highlights and lighter shadows. The older versions were really dark.
  • There are some general anatomy improvements as well.
• Con:
  • I never really liked the S1, and I still don't. All the issues I had with haven't really changed. The wing finger is still really straight, and tail fluff looks a box to me. I think I just don't like the pose, and even if it's anatomically better, it still doesn't look nice. 
• Overall: Like!

Snow (Holiday 2016):

• Pro:
  • The change in shading makes patterns pop more which is nice, and the general anatomy edits to shoulder and chest look good.
• Con:
  • Idk
  • There's not that much difference between the old and new version, and honestly, that's a good thing because it didn't really need any drastic changes. So, no identifiable cons for me.
• Overall: Like!

Thunder:

• Pro:
  • The Thunders LOOK SO COOL. Definitely more intimidating and demi-divine looking.
  • The hatchlings really needed the anatomy edits after seeing the old and new sprites side by side.
  • Lots of general anatomy and shading improvements too.
• Con:
  • I couldn't put my finger on it at first, but I think my issue with it is now, is that the shading makes the sprite look darker. The colors don't show up as well in lineages. When they are to scale, they are great, but in lineages, they get shrunken, which makes them an overall darker sprite and erases some of the lightning. They don't show up as well, and that makes me sad, because they look so cool.
• Overall: I LIKE!
  • Just sad about my lineages, though the Magi X Thunder lineage looks really nice now... but my specific ones don't.

 

In any case, thank you spriters for all the updates! Thank you all for continuing to contribute to the site. I appreciate you! 

[Laugh]

56 minutes ago, angelicdragonpuppy said:

What other sprites would people like to see updated most? A lot of the older sprite updates have been more and more faithful and cautious about preserving existing lineages and collections, so I'm less skittish of them then I used to be.

 

I'd say:

- Dorsals

- Stones

- Geodes

- Vines

- Balloons

 

Man I'd love a super shined up Geode, I still like them even now and they have not aged well. They'd look great with a polish!

 

I'm a bit iffy on Dorsals because I have an extreme love for Red Dorsal x Alt Sweetlings lines, but I do see where you're coming from lol Everything else on your list I agree with besides Balloons. I actually think that they're great where they're at. 

 

For me I'd like to see:

-Canopy (More on body/stance touchups, especially on females since they look way too small and the lineage view for females do not do the breed any favors)

-Storm

-Water

-Olive

-Stripe

 

EDIT: I do wonder what Herk thinks of the new Magis 🤔

 

 

Edited March 13, 2021 by Saynna

[tjekan]

The new lacula looks very cool. Two thumbs up on that one. It reminds me of paintings of St George fighting coiled dragons.

I really dislike when sprite updates change the color palette, since that has the potential for ruining old lineages. Because of that, I disapprove of the way the new thunder sprite eliminates the crackling gold color from the lightning--now it isn't going to sync up with a lot of mates it did before. Since I rarely breed thunders this won't affect me personally, but I do hope sprite updaters in the future will take color coordination into more account.

The new magi looks fine, but I am always disappointed every time one of the more distinctive, stylized designs gets smoothed out into the same look that 150 other dragons on the site already have. Why is this considered a priority? We have plenty of dragons that look like this already. New dragons are being added to the site every month. There's no reason to go back and genericize the old ones.

I can barely notice the difference between the sakura and snow designs, so those are neutrals from me.

Edited March 13, 2021 by tjekan

[dragongrrl]

4.5 out of 5. Thank you, spriters, for all your beautiful work! 💖💖💖💖💖

 

The Magis look healthier and a little more relaxed now. I loved them before, love them even more now. ❤️

 

The Sakuhana and Snow sprites seem to be brighter, livelier, and won't affect the pretty lines I have. A+

 

The Thunders? OMG! While I've always loved their colors, the old sprite had a cartoonish feel that has been blown out of the skies by the dynamic new sprite. Love, love, love!

 

The Lacula is my one low point. The new sprite has wonderful anatomy, pose and details but the green has lost its depth. Too soft a shade for the lineages I was planning. I'll adapt, I love green dragons, but they lost their real spark for me. C

[Sunrunner]

I find all the sprite updates are to my liking, though I had no particular beef with the older/original sprites.  Very sleek makeovers across the board!

 

A big congratulations and very many thanks to all the artists who worked on them for your (free) time and effort.  Your contributions are what keep me (and many others) enjoying this site after 10+ years and are always appreciated .

[random_dragon_collector]

31 minutes ago, tjekan said:

The new magi looks fine, but I am always disappointed every time one of the more distinctive, stylized designs gets smoothed out into the same look that 150 other dragons on the site already have. Why is this considered a priority? We have plenty of dragons that look like this already. New dragons are being added to the site every month. There's no reason to go back and genericize the old ones.

 

 

You put this very well.

 

Quite a few have posted in similar threads that lineages are one of the very few things we can do here all the time and are basically under our control.  To change sprites which changes the look of lineages just seems wrong.

Edited March 13, 2021 by random_dragon_collector

[RainDear]

My opinion. Just my opinion.

 

I do understand the desire to use new, better technology and pushing ourselves to the next level artistically. I applaud our artists for constantly renewing their craft, but. I am generally opposed to changing our sprites just for the sake of change. I like the idea of preserving our history and adding new along the way to our future. I know that not everyone shares my feelings on this, and due to the artists' wishes sometimes changes will be made as our artists continue to grow. I have learned to accept that.

 

I also believe that "updating" sprites should be artist driven, not user driven - I think that the changes should be made because the artists feel a need to improve on their own work, not because players decide to find fault with existing sprites..

[angelicdragonpuppy]

@Saynna Whattt?! I see most of those on your list, but Waters?! Waters are so pretty! Is it just how they're submerged that does it for you?
 

Also Dorsals are funny, at one point I was a huge fan of them, back when we had limited sprites, but... they have zero shading. Zero! THEY BE FLAT. They don't need much tweaking to have depth and I think with the colors and patterns so simple they'd be very easy to keep faithful to current looks, hopefully.

 

@Moonlightelf While I'm not a big fan of having multiple "breeds" of the exact same sprite just with different colors... imagine an updated sprite that has like that shiny reflective stone quality on the blue parts. *w* Or if when bred with another dragon they temporarily changed stone hue to match it for a day, the way Luminas react when bred to sticky dragons, but with color. Does it make sense?? No. Would it be pretty?? YAS

Edited March 13, 2021 by angelicdragonpuppy

[Xopwe]

1 hour ago, angelicdragonpuppy said:

What other sprites would people like to see updated most? A lot of the older sprite updates have been more and more faithful and cautious about preserving existing lineages and collections, so I'm less skittish of them then I used to be.

 

I'd say:

- Dorsals

- Stones

- Geodes

- Vines

- Balloons

I agree with this list and would also add nebula dragons. 

[purplehaze]

1 hour ago, HeatherMarie said:

The only older breed I'd actually *want* updated is Albinos simply because that wonky neck is just painful!

Oh my, YES! I won't use them in lineages now because they make my neck hurt to look at them! And they are such a lovely color that would work well with a lot of other dragons. I would use them a lot if they were not so pain-inducing!

5 minutes ago, MaccyVees said:

I agree with this list and would also add nebula dragons. 

NO! Please no change to the Nebula!

[angelicdragonpuppy]

5 minutes ago, MaccyVees said:

I agree with this list and would also add nebula dragons. 

hnghhh
I mean I get it, their bodies are mostly undefined blobs

But I love their wings and they look so grand in lineage views

I'm sure any update would make the wings look even better but... it's scary territory considering how much they're adored now, including by myself ;;

[purplehaze]

55 minutes ago, tjekan said:

I am always disappointed every time one of the more distinctive, stylized designs gets smoothed out into the same look that 150 other dragons on the site already have. Why is this considered a priority? We have plenty of dragons that look like this already. New dragons are being added to the site every month. There's no reason to go back and genericize the old ones.

So much this!

[Xopwe]

1 minute ago, angelicdragonpuppy said:

hnghhh
I mean I get it, their bodies are mostly undefined blobs

But I love their wings and they look so grand in lineage views

I'm sure any update would make the wings look even better but... it's scary territory considering how much they're adored now, including by myself ;;

Yeah its their bodies that weird me out. They looks so... blobby? Like the old magi hatchling, they lack definition. 

[Laugh]

12 minutes ago, angelicdragonpuppy said:

@Saynna Whattt?! I see most of those on your list, but Waters?! Waters are so pretty! Is it just how they're submerged that does it for you?

 

It's just the bulge that sticks out painfully for me  Otherwise, I agree that they're pretty! They also remind a bit of Milotic lol

[Chaosdawn]

The Lacula looks WAY better to me now, I didn't like them before but I do now. 

The Magi look better too, smoother.

For Sakura I like the new head better, Snow the wings are nicer.

The Thunders look much better to me as well, but I do wish the lightning was more noticeable. 

 

As much as I like the changes, I am worried about updates to my beloved white dragons. 😔

 

[jJedi_Master_1]

I will have to start getting the Orange ones soon.

[Diame]

I like 'em all, thanks!

[pinkgothic]

Re: Storm or Pink updates, update the females to your heart's content, but please leave the males as they are.

 

I'm okay with these changes. The Magi one's frill highlights look remarkably strange on the dark Portal 2 background, though; though I'm not sure I understand why it's doing that, they're not outlined in white. *strokes vis beard-stubble contemplatively* But it's not a deal-breaker, whatever it is! ❤️

[MalagAste]

6 hours ago, Ripan said:

@MalagAste - Yes, I'm seeing a difference in the Garlands too, the berries are much more prominent.

 

  Hide contents

 

New sprite:

  

 

Old Sprite: 

 

 

Edit: or does the wiki use a duller picture or something? I'm literally comparing one image from my scroll to the one on the wiki.

 

 

So I'm not dreaming then... it does look different... 

[Maniac]

In love with all of the updates. Fantastic job!!

[Wiz]

2 hours ago, angelicdragonpuppy said:

What other sprites would people like to see updated most? A lot of the older sprite updates have been more and more faithful and cautious about preserving existing lineages and collections, so I'm less skittish of them then I used to be.

 

I'd say:

- Dorsals

- Stones

- Geodes

- Vines

- Balloons

 

Man I'd love a super shined up Geode, I still like them even now and they have not aged well. They'd look great with a polish!

 

Stones only if they can keep their pose because they have always given my dirty mind a laugh.

Come on, they already took away my male Winter Elvis impersonators.

[Kaini]

11 minutes ago, MalagAste said:

So I'm not dreaming then... it does look different... 

 

As stated by the artists, there have been no changes to Garlands. There are no 'stealth' changes.

[pinkgothic]

16 minutes ago, MalagAste said:

So I'm not dreaming then... it does look different... 

No, I can promise you that the sprite hasn't changed.  I keep local copies of all sprites and did a comparison with what I've saved locally and what's on the site. Not one pixel is different.

 

It really is true that the ones on the wiki are unfortunately not the same as those on the site, because when you upload images to the platform, they're compressed again. Compare for example the wiki Stratos image with the one on the site - you'll notice the site Stratos has a sparkly back, whereas the Stratos in the wiki has a more smudged, uniform green tinge on its back. That's not because the Stratos sprite on the site has changed (it hasn't), but because of the compression artifacts from the upload to the wiki.

[angelicdragonpuppy]

13 minutes ago, Wiz said:

 

Stones only if they can keep their pose because they have always given my dirty mind a laugh.

Come on, they already took away my male Winter Elvis impersonators.

 I... I can't unsee this now

[Guillotine]

I feel like a lot of the people talking about color changes on the Thunder/Magis are also overlooking that the oldest sprites had a strict color limit and that the shading was flatter in a lot of older sprites, which can make keeping close to the same palette but making the shading more "modern" cause what seems to be hypersaturation when it's just that you can now tell how bright the main color of a sprite is. Magi have always been an eye-searing orange.

 

I will say though, until the Thunder update I, uh. Never realized the adults had visible horns. >>;; They blended into the wings really hard on the old ones.