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 Posted: Fri Aug 09, 2013 10:01 pm
Currently our staff is working on brainstorming an environment: We know we want it to be Native america inspired fantasy equine to make transferring of characters easier. However we want to make sure its different since.. Well. We don't want to step on toes. We're working on concept right now, and may actually try doing a sort of contest soon for poses.
Mainly, right now, we want to figure out how we can help YOU without having to force you to start completely fresh with your characters.
However, so you have any ideas of how can we do so without encroaching on other shops rules? We want to be good natured and not stir anyones kettle, but your characters are important. putting them into a new setting is easy, but starting from them not existing is heartbreaking.
How can we help you?
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Posted: Fri Aug 09, 2013 10:45 pm
Starting over is a very hard thing to do; but we, as patrons, can't expect you, as colorists/staff members, to completely re-do every single one of our already existing pets. It'd suck to have to start over; but sometimes it has to be done.
Though, perhaps there could be an event where everyone is raffled off, and there are a certain amount of slots, for a "Remake" event? It could maybe be at a discounted price or something? Or not; idk. And you could put some limitations on it for edits/mutations/ect. ( That is solely up to the staff though, of course ).
With how big the other shop was, it will be hard to try and bring families back; after all, some were in the double digits in gens. I'm certain everyone will understand if things do have to start over.
That's just my opinion on it. Whatever choices you and the staff make though, Mind, will be respected and thanked by myself for sure.
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Posted: Sat Aug 10, 2013 12:13 am
Hmm while this would be somewhat starting over, you could have an event where new pets are created by being inspired by the original one(s)? So like families could hold some of the same traits and characteristics, and exist in this alternate universe, but still be "new". Credit where credit is due of course, especially with lines built off of freebies or colorist created pets.
I think cosplays and patron original designs are exempt from the whole "you gotta get permission from the colorist to use as a custom" thing I've seen floating around? Not entirely sure on that though. I've only ever gotten one character in multiple places.
For those with herds, I think the transition might be harder as the herd will have to be converted to the new concept and system.
Remaking every Soq I think would end up being too big an undertaking, but I do think it should be allowed to 'remake' them through customs. Like once every two or three months maybe? Idk I'm terrible with cooldown restrictions.
I will say, whatever you guys decide on Mind, make sure there's the staff for it. That seemed to be the biggest issue in Soq was that there was never enough staff for the job especially with the caliber we held the colorists to.
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Posted: Sat Aug 10, 2013 12:25 am
The balance between maintaining a world in which characters can be transitioned smoothly from one to another... and not encroaching onto existing histories and the subtleties that have been introduced through time... shall be a hard thing to achieve.
I hope that my thoughts will prove useful in some way.
Characters themselves, as it has been stated by many, exist in our hearts and minds. They are given life by pixels, at times, but in reality they are a collection of ideas and characteristics that can transcend any physical transitions. Some things, like how they move or their love of flying, may be sacrificed if a species switch occurs or if they lose an appendage in transition... but the core of the concept, the ideas and the bonds that may be formed, can be maintained no matter what happens otherwise.
I full support the idea of a fantasy equine environment, perhaps with a Native flair... as both are things near and dear to my heart, for personal reasons as well as my own history.
However, I think that going that route may prove to ignite... bad things.
Simply changing the name of a referenced tribe, or altering the landscape, are superficial changes that may technically skirt around direct copying, but are hollow alterations that could easily be scorned and perhaps punished. (I don't know how applicable existing rules and ToS are for protecting ideas like these).
Perhaps, with the creative minds that have gathered here, an entirely new direction can be taken to preserve the 'necessities' that some have build their stories around- while those on both ends accept and allow for the flexibility that is necessary to make such transitions possible.
Unfortunately, as I sit here typing this as an emotional outlet with my eyes barely open, I do not have the capacity to offer suggestions that seem... concrete. More than just "WHAT IF it was a slightly different time period, or such-and-such tribe, or since there have been so many cross-overs with other periods and intercontinental backgrounds and even time-warping dinosaur invasions- what if the world is a hodgepodge of time-snippets coming together as one where all things belong and anachronisms therefore do not exist?!" Granted, that last idea may be a little far-fetched to create a complete cohesive shop design around, but it might be fun. xD
Personally, I will explore the freedom of allowing my characters to exist outside of any established shop- as a sort of transitional period, if you will- where families do exist and things have not been stirred up.
Once the ideas have been exchanged and things here start forming up, I think that it is of the utmost importance to accept (both on the sides of the staff and of any shop-goers eager to make the transition) that not every single family member can transition- just as not every little nuance that has formed in a particular world can follow a base character idea to a new land. I already have one character in mind whom I would strive towards obtaining as an 'official' new creature... though many others are close on her heels, she would be the one I would most wish to transition.
Although raffles and slots are the "fair" and unbiased way to go, I would suggest that an additional thread is made where folks can post ONE concept (to start, so as not to overwhelm) that they would love to have made... or, perhaps multiple ideas to allow for a "selection of potential remakes" in case that person does win in a raffle or some other mode of selection. I do NOT see this as simply posting a cert/uncert, rather "Here is my character, these are some things about him/her, and these are some physical attributes that I 'need' to have translated whereas these are some I could do without"- allowing colorists freedom, as in most cases I assume that NOT ALL characters being put up for re-make will be re-done by the same artist who originally drafted them, and as permission can't always be obtained for re-makes in the cases of those who have left Gaia or known internet communication altogether... again, I echo that let's not step on any toes. In terms of 'who to post' for my one-idea-at-a-time idea, picking favorites can be an exhausting thing to do, especially among creations of our own mind, but that should allow things to move forward at a moderate and manageable pace.
Of course, limitations and cool-downs would enable everyone to officially continue spreading the love.
I would adore an "OOC" forum of some sort where families can be RPed in their full extent, before new shop art is obtained. Just to have somewhere to store them, and somewhere to be until things are settled. (This already exists, yes? Just making sure, and thank you <3).
I may have mentally wandered on tangents while typing this out, but to summarize... You (everyone involved) have already done so much to allow us all a continued creative outlet and place to call 'home', that... I pose a question for you.
What, from us, would help you? Suggestions that may or may not be well-articulated, which may need to be organized before they can be used? What we consider 'necessary' to maintain the coherency of our characters- things we would like to see, things that we could do without? More love? heart
And, just....
Thank you. heart
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Posted: Sat Aug 10, 2013 12:38 am
As Huro said, when it gets right down to it a lot of these pets are characters, woven into stories within our minds.
I can't even say I rp'd in Soq a lot. It was mostly outside of it, or talked over skype and the like.
I really can't expect, or even fathom, that a new shop would be able to 'replace' an entire what... 8 years? of another shop. Or even half that number.
I like the idea of remake slots. Maybe every month hold a raffle for so many remake slots where you'll take them on as 'customs' at a reduced price. But that way you don't get bogged down with the work. My opinion though.
As for the setting? Hmmm... I agree that sticking to the same feel is both emotionally important and legally delicate.
What about... hm. Hang on, hear me out.
What about a world setting that's post-apocalyptic? And now society is back into living much more simply, and in tribes.
It can have that Native American flair (and I'd really love it to) but you can incorporate new elements too that way. Might explain some equine mutations as well. Or how it even occurred. It also has the plus side of being hugely symbolic.
Just an idea xD
And yes, as Huro said.
Thank you. I'm so sorry, and thank you.
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Posted: Sat Aug 10, 2013 12:38 am
One idea that has been suggested in passing is that the 'spirit' of the character from the Soq shop could have been 'reborn' into this new world. Maybe not all can make the transition, they remember their past life (thus remember old bonds) but cannot interact completely with others who have not transitioned yet. This could be a way to preserve the old and yet still give it a direction with the new.
The question is: Do we want to start this new world as a 'brand new start' or have it be somewhere that will (in the end) be a duplicate of the old shop? (as in do you want more focus on re-imagining old pets or more starting out from an old source and branching from there?) My example is Malis and the rest of the Vitterfolk. If I was to start anew, then I would have Malis re-created and then use her as my personal starting point to create new plots, stories and RPs. If we focused more on bringing the whole clan of the Vitterfolk then plots would be stalled until I managed to get everyone back that I needed.
Both ideas have their benefits and flaws. There would be less connections lost with the duplicate world but it would take longer (and be more work) to bring over the necessary characters we wanted to fill in the ranks. If we went with the sparse, new beginnings we could keep the essence of the plots and ideas we had and then branch out and make it into something new.
Edit: Though I have a slight personal advantage in that my main characters, Malis, Rynn, Immi ect. have been re-created in multiple shops and can easily be re-imagined on pretty much any lineart. (Seriously, someone challanged me to count up how many variants of Malis I had and it was nuts! I actually have more than that now.)
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Posted: Sat Aug 10, 2013 1:15 am
Amirynth One idea that has been suggested in passing is that the 'spirit' of the character from the Soq shop could have been 'reborn' into this new world. Maybe not all can make the transition, they remember their past life (thus remember old bonds) but cannot interact completely with others who have not transitioned yet. This could be a way to preserve the old and yet still give it a direction with the new.
The question is: Do we want to start this new world as a 'brand new start' or have it be somewhere that will (in the end) be a duplicate of the old shop? (as in do you want more focus on re-imagining old pets or more starting out from an old source and branching from there?) My example is Malis and the rest of the Vitterfolk. If I was to start anew, then I would have Malis re-created and then use her as my personal starting point to create new plots, stories and RPs. If we focused more on bringing the whole clan of the Vitterfolk then plots would be stalled until I managed to get everyone back that I needed.
Both ideas have their benefits and flaws. There would be less connections lost with the duplicate world but it would take longer (and be more work) to bring over the necessary characters we wanted to fill in the ranks. If we went with the sparse, new beginnings we could keep the essence of the plots and ideas we had and then branch out and make it into something new.
Edit: Though I have a slight personal advantage in that my main characters, Malis, Rynn, Immi ect. have been re-created in multiple shops and can easily be re-imagined on pretty much any lineart. (Seriously, someone challanged me to count up how many variants of Malis I had and it was nuts! I actually have more than that now.) I don't like this idea at all. The beauty of the soquili we own is that, they are ours and can be re-envisioned on different lines. I think that this idea of being reborn would encroach too much (even though it'd be fun) and cause more drama than necessary. I however, think the transition can be easily managed by making the shop more broad. Instead of Native American, it can be a fantasy world with wider stances on things. I love soq, but it has always had a very...limited scope. If instead of being too defined, and we expand--characters should be easily adoptable but also able to become more diverse.
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Posted: Sat Aug 10, 2013 1:23 am
Nyx, that's what I meant by the 'completely reborn' idea where we keep the essence of our characters/plots as a starting point and then branch out from there.
I guess if I re-worded it the question would be: "Do we want to re-make this new shop into a copy-albeit-different shop -or- do we want to have this shop be something new but where old ties can be re-established and characters (the essence of them, not necessarily exactly them) recognize each other.
The second option is kinda like a 'soul-mate' idea. Soq A and Soq B are lifemated in the old shop. In the new shop, character A meets character B and feels a deep affinity for each other which could potentially develop into lifemates once again.
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Posted: Sat Aug 10, 2013 1:33 am
It'd be tricky..personally I think I'd be a bit upset if someone gets a mate of one of my 'character's' made and they wind up with someone else =P
I'm attached to my characters, especially the ones I've really developed so seperating the Soq them from the new them could be tricky..which isn't really helpful beyond stating what might be going through people's minds when they think about becoming part of this ^_~
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Posted: Sat Aug 10, 2013 1:42 am
Amirynth Nyx, that's what I meant by the 'completely reborn' idea where we keep the essence of our characters/plots as a starting point and then branch out from there.
I guess if I re-worded it the question would be: "Do we want to re-make this new shop into a copy-albeit-different shop -or- do we want to have this shop be something new but where old ties can be re-established and characters (the essence of them, not necessarily exactly them) recognize each other.
The second option is kinda like a 'soul-mate' idea. Soq A and Soq B are lifemated in the old shop. In the new shop, character A meets character B and feels a deep affinity for each other which could potentially develop into lifemates once again. OHH I misunderstood and therefore retract my previous statement. And...okay, honestly, whatever we do is going to be irritating to certain people even if it's ducks on mars. So I don't think we should take that too much into account.
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Posted: Sat Aug 10, 2013 1:52 am
That would be the hardest part of the 'integration'. However, in cases like that, it could be acceptable that maybe the mate that isn't created yet but exists in spirit.
An example: Say Zev is owned by someone else. I have no intentions of Rynn and Zev ever being apart however I pick Malis to be my 'main' and first character 'reborn' in the new shop. There could be a thread for people to post intended lifemates where they agree to keep the promise in spirit, even if it is not current in the new shop. So that Zev, while he actually exists, could feel a 'spirit of Rynn' around him, or something else we could make into RP cannon with this shop that wouldn't require art straight away. That way, the important RP ties are still there but the shop can still take a new direction.
Sorry, just kinda brain-storming out loud right now.
The other option is that we just let Soquili RP in the shop much like many other shops on Gaia let other pets be RPd in their shop...
Man, my favorite part of creating things is the -creation- aspect of it so sorry if I seem to be jumping around all over the place. It's why one of my writer friends love me so much. I love bouncing around potential ideas.
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Posted: Sat Aug 10, 2013 3:24 am
Hrmmm *throws out random thought*. Ok so what if we did go with the fantasy thing... People could have their Native American aspect, or there could be phbbbt elven characters or dwarfs or who knows. What if it's like...Neverland? There's the pirate area and all that jazz...then on a larger scale those can be detailed places on their own. Of course characters can cross over the map and visit places. Just tossing maybe helps maybe doesn't....*goes back to her fruit loops*
Edit: I do like Trolls idea of letting Soq into this shop to RP. Friends arnt cut off from one another...and we seem awesoooome (which we are duh)
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Posted: Sat Aug 10, 2013 6:00 am
I don't think letting just Soquili in to RP is a bad idea. If we let in Soquili, we should let in all pets that are fitting of the world we create. I say this mostly because of the stepping on toes issue.
World wise, I'd like the never land idea. It's not quite one thing and leaves lots of room for new ideas (:
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Posted: Sat Aug 10, 2013 7:17 am
Honestly, my hugest plot baby family is mostly 1st gen anyway. XD
But there is another family I'm incredibly fond of and sad for losing. There's really nothing against customing in 1st gen pets. And if they happen to be a Soq pair and happen to get together here as well? XD Can't be anything done about it unless it's specifically trademarked or the pet isn't yours in the first place.
But I love the Neverland idea. That could be neat.
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Posted: Sat Aug 10, 2013 7:45 am
I just realize the main conversation about... this is here. So as not to repost it here: my two centsXD I don't know how much the idea helps but. Yeah.
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