Storm Chasers.. Should we branch out?

[SGA]

I have said in the past that Storm Chasers are meant to be a Semi Realistic Adoptable, naturally colored.

Now, reason being for this is I did not want someone ordering some crazy purple, pink polka dot sparkly horse or such.  So I said NO to all fantasy color requests, persona requests etc.

But at the same time, I never intended to severely limit them.  And I feel that in my efforts to keep out the brightly colored shiney sparkly things, that this is what i have done.  Limited them, my colorists, and myself.  This makes me a wee bit frustrated, and a lil sad.  I want to remedy this error.  But.. I;m not sure what you all think/feel.  So I'm putting it to you, what would you like to see?  What wouldn't you want to see?

I have a few examples with me today.  Two different "sets".  I want opinions on both sets individually please.  The first "set" is what I am calling "Off Colored".  They are colored with regular normal horse markings, and colored in natural colored, but with the colors in the "wrong" spots.  This, I feel, would give a bit of leeway to people wanting to get "simple" persona's done.  The second "set" I have to show you today, are mimics of non horse animals.  I think seeing those, will be explanation enough.

[SGA]

Set #1: Off Colored's

A mare with blaze, socks and appy markings done in tan/brown.  And a stallion with paint markings done in dark brown/black.

[SGA]

Set #2: Animal Mimics

A Panda Bear mimic, A Goat mimic, An Okapi mimic, White Tiger mimic and a Deer mimic.

[SGA]

Right, now a few things to consider now that you have seen the examples.  IF we decide to take the SC's down this path, their will be certain stipulations, rules and limitations.

First, animal mimics will not be offered for customs.  Ever.  Animal mimics will come on a Premade basis only.  The colorists can color what/when they feel like it.  This will ensure (hopefully) that they are not too stressed out.  It ensures no one orders a really hard mimic, and a colorist is stuck fretting that it is beyond their skill range.  So just.. no.  So, if we decide to make a go with animal mimics, then you will have to wait for premades to appear, and get them in events etc.  I'm sorry for this, but I think it's best. 

Second, for Off Colored's.  These WILL be available for Customs.. with a couple caveats.  1. A colorist can refuse the order as they see fit, even if you have a custom scroll.  if it is something they feel is beyond them, then I don;t want them to feel forced to attempt it.  2. I can decide that no, this is TOO far out in left field, and not allowed.  So.. Colorists get first veto rights here, but even if your request makes it past them and they agree to coloring it, I have final veto power to say "no."  This may sound rude, and I apologize if it does.  But I am admittedly leery to open this up to begin with.  I don't want it to come back and bite my rear later and make me regret doing it.

Finally, if these get put forward and we decide to do this, they will not be allowed to breed regularly.  This means, once I get around to any kind of regular breeding system, and you see slots open, you can not try to breed Off Colored's or Animal Mimics.  However, at colorists discretion, they may open "special" breeding slots for people to breed Mimics and Off Colored's.  These slots will be as limited as whichever colorist deciding to open them feels they can handle.    So you CAN breed them, you just have to wait for special slots.  They will use the same breeding items as regular SC's, and yes, they can still enter events.

Oh and, this does NOT mean you can start ordering purple and pink striped horses with green and cyan sparklies on them.  I have considered full out fantasy colored's in the past, discussed it with colorists, and the answer was no then, and for now is still no.  IF we ever do decide to do this, they would just be pretty pictures, not breedable (ever) and not compete-able.  So yea.. sorry..


Kudos and much love to Goddesss for doing those last three mimics for me to use here.  I could never have done them.  Seriously, never!  Just look at my crappy panda bear mimic, to see how much i would have screwed up the more complicated ones that Goddesss did.  She also colored both of the Off Coloreds used as examples here.  A lot of hard work done, just on a possibility they will be used.  And her knowing full well before she started that she may be wasting her time if we decide SC's won't take this path.  She's amazing, really!

[Goddesss]

I like this idea.  I also like that the animal mimics will be limited so it doesnt get crazy. 
I dont think this will take away from the semi realistic part of these guys since they will not be crazy stuff.

I wanted to thank Crowflux for letting me color her persona as an example for this.  Oh yea and Kadana too for letting me have some fun coloring. *hugs*

[Crowflux]

I love this idea, especially in the instance of my character for example. She's not of conventional colors or markings by any means, but she's got this unique natural color scheme to her that I really love. You could almost see it existing in real life. This persona represents a lot of things to me that are inspired from other animals.

I bring this up because I think it's important based on the idea that I think it would be amazing to see others think this way without adding crazy colors and such. To really see people get creative in a more real setting without rainbows, hearts, and neon colors. <3

[XLostxDestinyX]

Big fan of the idea, and limits are completely understood! I would love to see some creative colouring for these pretties without making it a fairyland takeover <3
Very cute examples as well =)
Count me in on this idea!

[Winged]

I love this idea, especially the animal mimics. They still look natural and allow for more markings.
However, i don't really like the idea of not allowing animal mimics as customs, because sometimes a user will have a spesific animal that they really want to get mimiced. But, that's just my opinion, and i still think it's a good idea to include animal mimics.

[indigowulf]

As a colorist, Im for this idea. I like the idea of "natural world" as the limitation. So, freaking rainbow polkadots would still not happen, but maybe something with bright red and yellow in natural patterns may sneak in.

I think the no mimics as customs is for the sanity of people who don't feel they can color one as the customer would expect. Id be willing to have people *ask* for specific mimics if they have my custom scroll, with the understanding I can decline if I dont feel I can succeed with that mimic.

[SweetCaroline]

I think the animal mimicks are a good idea. There are several posted already that I wouldn't mind having for myself. And it is understandable for them to not be used as a custom. To accept them as customs would end up overwhe;ming the colorists & would slow down the entire adoptable while trying to get the mimicks done.

The off coloured ones would be nice to, so long as it's natural off colors.

[SGA]

I am happy to see so much support for doing this.  Thank you everyone who weighed in with their thoughts so far.

As for the limitations.. I'm sorry they are not liked by all.  I knew those rules and restrictions would not be completely popular when I made them.  But it is not just strain on my colorists that I was thinking of when I made them.  granted, that was my biggest concern.. just not my only reason.

For now, the rules and limits will remain.  The off colored are meant to be a bit more special then normal SC's.  Maybe a wee bit harder to get, since they have to go through a two person approval process.  First they have to pass the colorists judgment, then they have to pass mine.  Now, if one colorist says "no" another may say "yes", so you have a little wiggle room there.  Then you just have to hope it makes it past me lol

But mimics, are meant to be even more special then the off colored's.  So the only "mimic" allowed to be ordered, would be of actual horses.  At times, a colorist may offer up slots to "mimic" other equine adoptables (in natural colors) like I did recently, but you get the point.  Any other animal mimics, will be "special" and "sort of" rare.  And, quite a bit harder to get. 

However, I do understand the concern about wanting to see a certain animal mimic'd, and not wanting to wait forever in the vain hope that one of the colorists reads your mind and does that specific mimic.  So what we can do is this..  Anyone who has somethign specific they would want to see mimic'd, send me a PM to this account. Put Mimic this! in the subject line.  And then in the message, put what animal you'd like to see.  This will be an ongoing thing that anyone can do.  I'll periodically take the "suggestions" from my pm box, and add them to a list that I'll post somewhere where all the colorists can see. 

This will not guarantee that the animal you want to see gets done.  it's just a suggestions list.  Any colorist can loo at the list, and if they see somethign they want to do, then they can.

The downside to this is, there is no guarantee that you will get the mimic when it is done.  Again, I'm sorry there, but you'll just have to take your chances.

That said, if we decide to do this (and its looking more and more like we will) these mimic's you see up there now will be given away later on.  Yes, given, as in free of charge.  though.. you maybe have to work a bit to get them.

[indigowulf]

Kadana, do you mind if I hold a small contest later to try my hand at mimics, and getting them to the people who suggested them for me? (it'd be tomorrow at best, WoW is calling)

[Kadana Sorano]

I don't mind if you want to do some mimics to try.  And I have set up the SGA profile to post animals people suggest on.  BUT.. the finished product I don;t want just going to the person that suggested it.  That is why i asked they send suggestions to me directly at SGA, and I will post the list.  So that no one knows who suggested what, and everyone has an equally fair chance at adopting each one.  For you to color some someone suggested to you, and then they get it after.. that may as well be letting them order them custom.

So if you want to color some mimics, by all means, I have no objection.  But any suggestions of animals to mimic I want people to pm to SGA, to make it fair and equal chance for everyone.

If you color some, you can hang on to them until the ones above are homed, and then run some sort of an event to home the ones you did, or you can add them to these to be homed with them.  I;m contemplating some sort of (free) RP event to home these ones.  not set in stone yet tho.  So either way you want to home them is fine with me, but if you want to do it yourself, I just ask you wait until these ones are homed first.  Since the homeing event will be their "official" introduction.

OK, clarifying the animal mimics..  

For Users:
1. want to see a specific animal, PM SGA account to suggest it.  
2. Do NOT post it anywhere in threads, do not PM it to anyone else.
3. Wait, and hope a colorist is inspired, then watch for events and try to win it.

For Colorists:
1. You may color animal mimics as you get the muse/urge to.
2. You can look on the SGA profile page to see what has been suggested if you want, but you don;t have to.
3. You may NOT ask who suggested what.
4. you may NOT try to in any way ensure any specific person gets the mimic.

Homeing Rules: (subject to further clarification and change)
1. Mimics can be homed in free events (open to everyone, everyone has equal chance)
2. Paid events (flatsales/auctions) with the colorists taking a majority of the percentage of funds earned.  (these are special, and harder, and so yea..)
3. NOT in trades.  (not right now atleast, I did consider it, but feel a bit squidgy on it right now, I'll give it some more thought and let you know.)


OK, I am having trouble waking up.  Still feel groggy for some reason, so if I missed anything, feel free to poke me.  Also, any more questions anyone has are welcomed.  It helps me thresh out my ideas etc, for in case we do go through with this.  yea, still not 100% sure we WILL do this.  All those pretties may still yet get scrapped..

And remember, nothing is set in stone.  If we do branch out like this, rules and restrictions may change later on, after I get a better feel for how things are going.

[Mutt]

If you're still happy for me to color for you, I'm happy to do animal mimics, gives me a little practice coloring coats other then horse coats.

[Kadana Sorano]

Yes, perfectly happy Mutt.  I loved the nes you did before, and never removed you form the staff lsiting on site.  I just thought you were busy *hugs*

Just.. keep in mind that right now, any Animal mimics anyone does, may end up being a huge waste of time.  I don't want anyone upset if they color some, work so hard, then the work is wasted.

[YourLoveOnly]

I had personally hoped the option for Kennel dog mimics would become possible now, but that doesn't seem to be the case. I do support it! =) Although when looking at the SGA profile I see a section with # # of times it has been mimic'd, I personally would remove that. I think you shouldn't have multiple mimics of the same animal, unless they are bred on rare occassions.

[Goddesss]

Hmmm I had thought about that too, but I think a tiger with stripes in different spots would be ok.  Not all tigers look the same.  It is something to think about though. =)

[BabyKittenCandy]

I like the animal mimics and can understand the limitations on them, so all good here from me

[SGA]

YLO.. I can understand what you're talking about, and if I had opened them to customs, or if they were mimics of popular characters , then I could see doing this.  

Like, if someone orders a mimic of Seven bells, Hidalgo etc, then that would indeed be limited to just that one, and no more ever to be made.  There is a Epona mimic atm, already owned.  So no one can have her done now.

But being they are just animal mimics, I won't limit them to just one of each animal.  I don't imagine you will get two tigers, two cheetah's, two zebra's etc coming out looking 100% exactly the same anyway.  Different colorists may do them for one, and (one would hope) they wouldn't all use the same exact picture as a reference.

If however it becomes a problem.. For example, if one of my colorists loses their mind and tries to hand me a dozen tigers at once, when there are only a handful of other animals mimic'd.. yea, then I'll say no lol


ETA: We have our first two suggestions listed on this profile page!  It is looking more like we will be doing this, so if anyone else wants to get suggestions in, go ahead and do so.

Note: If you send me a suggestion for an animal, that has more then one type, and you do not specify which type, then it will be left to the colorist to choose, if they happen to decide to use your suggestion!

[springacres]

I really, really like this idea.  I agree with the idea of limiting animal mimics so things don't get too crazy, and especially with real horse mimics (though I'd suggest that there ought to be a way to personalize the horse mimic - a different cert than the usual Storm Chasers one perhaps, with a brass nameplate and the horse's name on it to make it clear that it is a mimic as opposed to just a random horse with the same color and markings?)

I hope that last part made sense - it's late and I'm tired.

[Kadana Sorano]

horse mimics aren't limited.  Unless you mean the famous horses like 7 bells..  And much as I would love too, I have enough stuff on my certs, I keep forgetting to add the angels for the memorials, or to change gender tag on the stats cards.

[springacres]

Yeah, I meant the famous horses like Eight Belles.  And it's ok, it was just a thought.

[SGA]

eight bells.. why do I keep calling her 7 bells?

*fail*


We have an inspection coming up..  It's a big one (meaning, its important that we pass it, or we could be evicted).  So were busy trying to prepare for this.  After things calm down here, I will try and get an event up to rehome the Animal mimics shown in this thread.  I am not sure what kind of event it will be, I am leaning towards some sort of RP event.  But just don't have energy to spare to think it through properly and what not right now.

Anyway, I CAN promise, it will be a free event, that everyone (even colorists!) can enter.

[Goddesss]

Hmmmmm even colorists that colored them?  ROFL
Yay! I am happy they will get homes.

[Kadana Sorano]

Yes, even colorists that colored them lol

Since the colorist/s won't be running the event, then it will still be an equal and fair chance all around.

..except for me, I get no shot at them *flails*