Sprite Discussion

[Shokomon]

This is a thread to discuss the sprites of Dragon Cave. 

 

Like the actual sprites themselves.

 

Things we like about them, things we dislike, etc.

 

I mostly wanted a space to talk about the differences between the old and replacement sprites in the new update, but I figure that we can use a general thread.

 

There is the New Sprite General/Miscellaneous Discussion thread:

But that is specifically for new releases.

 

There is also the Sprite Updates thread:

But that's for sprite updates in general. 

 

I just want to talk about pretty art.

 

Speaking which RULES, because if I don't, this thread will get shut down faster than a CB Holly gets snatched on Christmas.

-----

Da Rulez

1. BE RESPECTFUL. Everyone is entitled to their opinion. You don't have to agree, but you can't insult or imply things about them because of it. And any derogatory comments of any kind are a big no-no 
2. Explain your reasoning. You can't just say "I DON'T LIKE THIS SPRITE. :(" and leave it at that. You got to explain. Like "I don't like it, because it has a strange pose, and I find it confusing," or "I like it, because it's colorful, and I like bright colors!"
3. Be critical about what you say about the sprites. No artwork is perfect, and no one is expected to like everything. However, think before you post. If you generally don't like a sprite, try to mention something positive about the sprite. If you do like a sprite, try to mention something that needs improving. Any one purely bashing [insulting, usually as a string of negative comments] a sprite is getting reported though. 
4. BE RESPECTFUL, INCLUDING TO THE ARTISTS. For the old sprites, new sprites, and everything in between, someone worked hard on these sprites. They put time and effort into them. When you talk about the art, remember there is a person behind them and moderate what you say.
5. No talk about why there should or shouldn't be sprite updates or what needs updates or doesn't. I literally just linked a thread for that purpose. That is not this thread. Go there. We are here to discuss a very subjective thing known as art.
6. Feel free to talk about any sprite on the cave. This thread is to discuss all sprites, not just new or changed ones.

 

--

Okay, now on to the discussion!

 

Edit: To make it very obvious:

9 minutes ago, Kaini said:

25 minutes ago, Shokomon said:

25 minutes ago, Kaini said:

This is not a topic about the replacements. If that is what this topic becomes, it will be locked. The news thread was locked for a reason - this thread should not circumvent that.

{snip}

 

Edit:

@Kaini Just to clarify, no talk about the new sprites at all? Not even purely design-wise? 

 

Of course you can talk about the artwork. But it shouldn't be a new vs old discussion. The change was necessary; it's not up for debate. My advice would be to keep it about the artwork as it is.

 

Edited May 9, 2021 by Shokomon
Making changes so this place doesn't closed as fast as a CB holly getting snapped up on Christmas

[Keileon]

I don't like Rule 3; just listing what you like about a sprite isn't going to turn the thread into an echo chamber, and sometimes you genuinely have no criticisms of something.

 

Like, the male Spinel. I adore the pose, the shading, the color choices on both variants-- why should I have to dig and find something I don't like?

[Shokomon]

24 minutes ago, Keileon said:

I don't like Rule 3; just listing what you like about a sprite isn't going to turn the thread into an echo chamber, and sometimes you genuinely have no criticisms of something.

 

Like, the male Spinel. I adore the pose, the shading, the color choices on both variants-- why should I have to dig and find something I don't like?

Mostly to keep people from doing the opposite. 

No art is perfect, so there are good things and bad things to everything. If you can't find anything bad per say, you can list something that you wish was better. 

 

Like with Pharos, the bright neon color isn't bad. It fits the dragon, and for something garishly neon like that, it looks really nice. That said, I wish the colors were duller, because looking at it too long literally gives me a headache. 

 

I hope this helps. 

 

I wanted to reserve the second post for my talk about the updated sprites, but the site just merged the replies, so it wouldn't let me. I'll just have to sit down and do it whenever. 

[Ruby Eyes]

15 minutes ago, Shokomon said:

I wanted to reserve the second post for my talk about the updated sprites, but the site just merged the replies, so it wouldn't let me. I'll just have to sit down and do it whenever. 

If you want to reserve multiple posts, you need someone else to post in between and then hide their posts.

[HeatherMarie]

(I really hope this thread remains civil and is kept open because we *do* need a general 'let's talk about sprites!' thread.)

 

The Sophrosynes. Oh my goodness. While I do miss the stubbly/glittery way the old feathers looked, I'm absolutely in love with these new sprites. To me it takes a great color palette and general idea from the old Soulpeaces and makes it even better with more detail and intricacy in the colors. For example, I love that the purple is more pronounced in the new sprites, it really feels more a part of the general design rather than just a little edge-highlight. 

 

The new Tideweavers are also absolutely stunning. I was never really into Red-Finned Tidals, didn't dislike them at all just never felt compelled to collect more than my base-goal of 20. But the Tideweavers, wow! I like that the general color scheme was kept, even the general poses to a certain extent, and yet they look like brand-new fresh art and I *love* it. Someone in another thread posted a lineage link of a Tideweaver/Aeon pairing and it's amazing how well they go together. I really can't say enough about the slight changes in the coloring, the color scheme was kept but slightly different shades and such really seem to make a lot of difference. The only thing I'm a tad disappointed with is the loss of the long loopy tail on one of the s2 hatchies.

 

While I'm here, since you did mention this isn't just for the new sprites.... Nobleshields and Aqualises. My absolute favorite breeds to date in the entire game. My favorites have shifted over time as so many new breeds got introduced, of course, but Aquas have been special to me since the moment they were released and same with Nobleshields. With Aqualises there is just something about the shininess of the sprite, while not being 'shiny' in the same way that say Shimmers are. I was honestly a little surprised how attached to them I got, lol. Though I do feel like the male adult needs to put on some weight. The Nobleshields, to me, are the *best* example of taking the best qualities from both breeds when making a hybrid. They look powerful and strong and capable while not being overly muscular or too harshly detailed in the anatomy, and the coloring is just gorgeous. I love love love that specific purple, I feel like it's so unique compared to the other purple-ish dragons we have. The shield-things on the end of their tail isn't my favorite, but I get it because Guardians.

[Whirlaway]

The new Tideweavers are beautiful! I love the female especially, and their tails are very pretty.

Edited May 8, 2021 by Whirlaway

[ShorahNagi]

2 hours ago, Keileon said:

why should I have to dig and find something I don't like?

Just come up with something funny.

 

For example (and my opinion on a sprite);

 

Horse Dragons - I love the colors of them. They're whimsical enough to say "fantasy" but not over the top MLP-style. The poses of both the male and female are also realistic (especially the male - he looks wild and a lot of stallions have wild attitudes.)

 

However, I don't understand how the male can deal with his forelock. I get annoyed with just a single hair hanging near my eye - he's got a whole section to deal with.

 

That aside, all these new sprites are beautiful. Some of these breeds I stopped collecting but now...I want more. The new electric is well, electric! And those Beam Drakes? They really pop!

 

About the only one I'm not super hyped over is the new 2011 Holiday. I like the colors and his golden "chicken feet" make me laugh for some reason. However, the shape of his wings and the stripes comes off as overly busy to me (something that I do not like (I have the same problem with the Skysilks...so I think my hang up is more with the wing shape as opposed to the color/style))

 

All in all, these are beautiful sprites and I'm glad we have them...Now spriters, can we please give Albino dragons some love? Not a lot...maybe just a shading update (they seem so...plain compared to some others but I still love them)

Edited May 8, 2021 by ShorahNagi

[BlitzDrake]

I love the Sunbeam and Moonglow drakes, the colors and poses are lovely. So I'll probably hoard more of them now. 

 

The electric dragons I felt like they needed an update anyway, the poses and new colors will be fun to play around with in lineages. In a way the sprites seem a bit "busy" with the electricity but overall I like the update. 

 

 

 

The only ones in this update I'm not a fan of is the Seragamma and the Ciriax Lindwyrms. Something about the poses seem off for the Serras, or maybe it's the colors that make them more "cartoon-y", for both of them. I liked the more realistic look. 

 

 

Do anyone have the Soulpeace/Sophrosynes description before the change? 

Edited May 8, 2021 by BlitzDrake

[Shokomon]

1 hour ago, Ruby Eyes said:

If you want to reserve multiple posts, you need someone else to post in between and then hide their posts.

Really? That's annoying. 

What if you can't reserve a post in time? Or ask anyone to do it? 

 

 

 

Anyway,  really need to sit down and make my post on the sprites...

 

 

Edit:

@Kaini Just to clarify, no talk about the new sprites at all? Not even purely design-wise? 

 

-- 

On a different note, Sunset & Sunrises! They were my favorite for a good bit, until after the Dimorphism update. The male Sunrise and female Sunset have a stronger serpentine feeling to them I don't like. I like the stronger stockier builds of the originals. The originals feel more grand and proud, while the newer ones felt more lithe and graceful. 

 

My brain was  like "NO. It's not thE SAME >:(." They aren't bad though. Just not my cup of tea...

 

...I really want some tea right now. 

Edited May 8, 2021 by Shokomon

[Kaini]

This is not a topic about the replacements. If that is what this topic becomes, it will be locked. The news thread was locked for a reason - this thread should not circumvent that.

[Wavelength]

I like the curvy necks on the new male Cirlax sprites. They make me think of moray eels.

[Marrionetta]

Requiring people to state a negative opinion is kind of leading, isn't it?

[Kaini]

7 minutes ago, Shokomon said:

Edit:

@Kaini Just to clarify, no talk about the new sprites at all? Not even purely design-wise?

 

Of course you can talk about the artwork. But it shouldn't be a new vs old discussion. The change was necessary; it's not up for debate. My advice would be to keep it about the artwork as it is.

 

I will say this thread is on thin ice - especially with the rule to state a negative. If this becomes at all a way to tear an artist's work down, it will be locked.

[sh20000sh]

I think Ice and Magma need sprite update some day as Thunder had quite change.

[Marrionetta]

2 minutes ago, sh20000sh said:

I think Ice and Magma need sprite update some day as Thunder had quite change.

I would actually kind of love to see that! Not because they aren't good but because the trio looking spiffed up together would be nice!

[Shokomon]

7 minutes ago, Kaini said:

 

Of course you can talk about the artwork. But it shouldn't be a new vs old discussion. The change was necessary; it's not up for debate. My advice would be to keep it about the artwork as it is.

 

I will say this thread is on thin ice - especially with the rule to state a negative. If this becomes at all a way to tear an artist's work down, it will be locked.

Think I should take it out?

 

The point of it was to keep the posts from being solidly positive OR more importantly, solidly negative. 

I figure some people would post just to complain about a spite, so the rule would make them stop and thing of anything good about the sprite they are talking about.

 

I made it go both ways for fairness. 

 

If anyone did start going off, I am going to report them. 

 

Edit:

4 minutes ago, sh20000sh said:

I think Ice and Magma need sprite update some day as Thunder had quite change.

 

2 minutes ago, Marrionetta said:

I would actually kind of love to see that! Not because they aren't good but because the trio looking spiffed up together would be nice!

No update talk.

 

No!

 

Go here:

 

Otherwise, what don't you like about it that you make this suggestion?

 

And what do you like about it? 

Edited May 9, 2021 by Shokomon

[Fiona]

I don't think this thread should be a place to talk about what sprites you think need updated either.

 

It's generally easy for people to come up with something they like about a sprite, unless they completely dislike the whole thing for aesthetic reasons, and this would not be the place to air that. If you really dislike a sprite it's better to say nothing. But it's hard to those not used to giving constructive criticism to say what they don't like in a good way. If this thread is going to stay open it would be best to remove that as a requirement.

 

I can say something about a sprite I like though. I really, seriously like the pargulus pygmies. They hit all my squishy buttons.

[Nightmon]

It's alright if I said that I like the sprites update? I know part of why the thread was locked was to keep people from complaining about it as they did with the last update, but overall I'm really fine with the change? The only one I was not sure about was the Tideweavers because I wasn't sure if I liked their faces. But when I notice their little tiny arms, it immediatly grew in me, so cute! Pros to the artist, they did a really good job and I'm looking foward sprites updates. 
I was also tempted to open a discussion about lineage with them since they feel like new dragons and that I want to share the lineage idea I have for them, mostly the Serrati Wyvern since they look so more fierce and fluffy!

[firedrake2]

1 hour ago, HeatherMarie said:

The Sophrosynes. Oh my goodness. While I do miss the stubbly/glittery way the old feathers looked, I'm absolutely in love with these new sprites. To me it takes a great color palette and general idea from the old Soulpeaces and makes it even better with more detail and intricacy in the colors. For example, I love that the purple is more pronounced in the new sprites, it really feels more a part of the general design rather than just a little edge-highlight.

 

You took the words right out of my mouth, omg. I saw the updated sprite and gasped out loud. They're just so shimmery and I love the way the colors were worked in! And their expressions... They're just friend shaped. I'm also super fond of the hatchling poses, they're so good. :')  For some reason, the red-finned egg (the retired one) always kind of rubbed me the wrong way. I have absolutely no idea why other than maybe I just got tired of seeing it in the AP??? But the tideweaver (new) egg is lovely. Something about the asymmetry and the way it's shaded makes it look kind of like a precious stone and I've just been staring at it.

 

Also, look at this little dude. He's got pants. ❤️

[Kaini]

27 minutes ago, Shokomon said:

Think I should take it out?

 

Yes.

 

but also this thread seems to be going all over the place. You're already re-directing all replies to other threads. So is there a point to this other than unwanted critique? I don't believe so.

 

And the changes have come up again. So, DM me if you wish to discuss, but I don't believe this thread is going to be conducive to the discussion you're looking for, and the timing is unfortunate in circumventing the news thread.