Pick's Art Thread 5 - Short Anim. Test

Duckie · Post by **Duckie** » 2006-05-24 02:55pm

*Stares at heightmap, looking at Hoquer/Umber and the ??? Bar*

*Furiously plays with Google Calculator*
(beat)
AHA!

I have it.

Looking at the Growth curve in the upper right, after about 250 years or so Growth seems to level off into a very shallow angle, but it still becomes asymptotic instead of exponential. I'm going to assume for my own sanity that it doesn't become asymptotic to the x-axis but instead for a very low sloped oblique since Pick's pencil marks aren't exactly clear and seem to indicate that Azzarn shrink past a certain point if you take the arrow point and not the line literally...

The difference between 3000 and 1000 is 8/3 times as much as the difference between 1000 and 250. If we assume this ratio carries on, with the same height changes and the years being X+8/3X where X is the previous age each time, then we end up with:

8,333 + 1/3 is, by my eyeball measures, just under Hoquer's height. If we round up to account for that, 8,400 seems like a nice number.

It also sounds very good. 8,400 years old for Hoquer and Umber really does make them as ancient as mountains. (Adrian Laguna, who is listening to me babble out this theory, demands that I say this is figurative and that Mountains are really much older).

So... Pick... am I close?

Edit- Older? If the curve really does become asymptotic to the X-Axis instead of the one I chose based on the age/height ratios and the growth curve's significant room for interpretation, the ratio of 8/3rds would actually be constantly shrinking. It could potentially not even yield 8'6" height before infinity, although I haven't bothered with the series to figure it out since I'm out of school, not back in Algebra II.

Perhaps 9,000 or even 10,000 to account for that?

Pick · Post by **Pick** » 2006-05-24 07:45pm

You... could have just asked

. But, I really must confess that I am tickled pink that I have my first math-based fan action!

Hoquer is about 11,000 actually. Something you might have forgotten, though, in your math is that Desunius is partially digitigrade (though not as much as Umber.) I probably should have made a note about that

. Another major factor is nutrition. Syvorians tend to be smaller for their age than Llanlleians as a result of limited food availability.

Duckie · Post by **Duckie** » 2006-05-24 07:51pm

Pick wrote:You... could have just asked . But, I really must confess that I am tickled pink that I have my first math-based fan action!

Hoquer is about 11,000 actually. Something you might have forgotten, though, in your math is that Desunius is partially digitigrade (though not as much as Umber.) I probably should have made a note about that . Another major factor is nutrition. Syvorians tend to be smaller for their age than Llanlleians as a result of limited food availability.

But this way I got a pre-answer.

11,000? Damn. I came close with my high-end, but I didn't expect growth to level off that much.

I didn't even bother to factor in posture, to tell the truth. I was just eyeballing it, taking Desunius as an average 3-millenia, Edge as an average 1-millenia, and whichever one was the 250 whom I can't remember as average for their age too.

God, though, mathematically trying for Hoquer's age? Ugh. I feel all... fanboy-ey. It feels almost unclean. Next thing you know I'll be writing cheesy slash fiction.

Come to think, Edge isn't that much of a bastard. He could be worse. When he had poor little Hyral cornered, he could have been so much less forgiving. Or just killed her. Or...

Some Strange Alternate Universe wrote: “Two months, Hyral. I am already granting you an opportunity that you legally don’t deserve. I trust you to take advantage of it. Please, do the best that you can. Get the money back."
"I'll try..." Hyral managed to say.
"Good. Now get down on your knees."

Now that would be assholery of the finest caliber. Edge is quite nice compared to that, really. Honest. I'm not trying to justify him being an ass because I like his character.
Thoughts upon reading end of last update- Oh god, who do I support? Edge or Hyral?

Noble Ire · Post by **Noble Ire** » 2006-05-24 07:58pm

Now that would be assholery of the finest caliber. Edge is quite nice compared to that, really. Honest. I'm not trying to justify him being an ass because I like his character.

I still don't like him, though you do have a point.

On a similar topic, it seems as though age limitations on intercourse are taken very seriously in both Llanellia and Syvoria (although I suppose it's to be expected in the first, if not so much in the second). Is sexuality as much as a taboo in Azzarn culture as it is generally in the Western world?
Gah, I feel overly fanboy-ish now too; creepily so.

Pick · Post by **Pick** » 2006-05-24 08:34pm

MRDOD wrote:1,000? Damn. I came close with my high-end, but I didn't expect growth to level off that much.

Well, a lot of it also is a function of original size parameters of the given individual, too. So many variables, man!

Still, you did a better job thinking about it than I did, by far, and I write the thing.

God, though, mathematically trying for Hoquer's age? Ugh. I feel all... fanboy-ey. It feels almost unclean. Next thing you know I'll be writing cheesy slash fiction.

I don't mind what anyone does with fanboyish/fangirlish motivations

. I really don't get offended that easily. Still, I'd probably find that funnier than I should

. Who the hell would people slash? Hoquer and Zixer? How the hell would you explain that one?

!! That's almost worth seeing someone try...

Come to think, Edge isn't that much of a bastard. He could be worse. When he had poor little Hyral cornered, he could have been so much less forgiving. Or just killed her. Or...

Edge loves to manipulate people into his hands, but he doesn't want to really damage people unless he hates them, and that's fairly rare. For instance, with Alder, he could have been much crueler as well. He just plays to however mean he feels is necessary and works from there. Though sometimes, it's still high-end dickery

.

Thoughts upon reading end of last update- Oh god, who do I support? Edge or Hyral?

Why do you have to choose yet? Edge and Hyral's goals are essentially the same, it just happens to be that the actual responsibility falls on her shoulders for the time being.

---------

Noble Ire wrote:On a similar topic, it seems as though age limitations on intercourse are taken very seriously in both Llanellia and Syvoria (although I suppose it's to be expected in the first, if not so much in the second). Is sexuality as much as a taboo in Azzarn culture as it is generally in the Western world?

The age limitation is adhered to, period. It's not like in the good old USA and similar where there's a law, but such legislation is expected to be ignored. The law is important in Llanlleia to ensure that no one is being taken advantage of (intentionally or not). It's time designed for emotional stability and development. In Syvoria, the rule is essential for similar reasons, plus the more pragmatic one: population. They don't particularly want people having many more children, and they definitely want those who do decide to reproduce to be actually capable of decent parenthood. The penalties in both nations for disobeying this law are harsh.

Aside from that one aspect, there's not enough of a taboo to even call it such

. It could as well be the 60's. I don't make a huge point of it (why bother?) but it's quite significant. Bear in mind that once you reach a certain point of traits development, you're sterile (depending on the other individual involved as well.) STIs are unheard of. That means free love has very few negative consequences

. Also, since Llanlleia needs all the help it can get population wise, there's plenty of scenes wild, fun, and funky for anyone over 20. As for Syvoria, well... it's there if that's your sport. Edge certainly takes advantage of the opportunities.

Gah, I feel overly fanboy-ish now too; creepily so. Razz

Hey now, questions were made to be answered

. As long as they're not spoilers.

Duckie · Post by **Duckie** » 2006-05-24 08:49pm

Pick wrote: I don't mind what anyone does with fanboyish/fangirlish motivations . I really don't get offended that easily. Still, I'd probably find that funnier than I should . Who the hell would people slash? Hoquer and Zixer? How the hell would you explain that one? !! That's almost worth seeing someone try...

No. If I were to be a raving yaoi-loving fangirl. Which I'm not. On either account. Except perhaps raving.

Anyway, if I were a raving yaoi-loving fangirl, I would choose...

Hoquer + Edge (Fangirl Rationalization: They're both the sort of fangirl-y material* (no offense), they're mortal enemies, therefore they should sleep together. See: Cloud/Sephiroth for details.)

Edge + Umber (Same reason).

Pick · Post by **Pick** » 2006-05-24 08:53pm

Oh dear lord, it's the "hot rival slash"!!

That reminds me of one of my friends at Anime Expo who had a thing for SephirothxVincent. She could never explain to me how that could possibly make any sense at all. Worst of all, she had plenty of comerades in love for that one. That was so weird

.

Instant Sunrise · Post by **Instant Sunrise** » 2006-05-24 08:54pm

Hey, we still haven't seen Edge and Evil Aayla (From The Rift).

Priorities people!

Duckie · Post by **Duckie** » 2006-05-24 08:56pm

skyman8081 wrote:Hey, we still haven't seen Edge and Evil Aayla (From The Rift).

Priorities people!

Oh god, we haven't even explored crossovers yet, that's right!

I can see it now:

Hoquer+Edge... +Cloud+Sephiroth+Inuyasha+Captain Jack Sparrow!

Pick, for the love of God do not publish Dark Counselors as an anime or graphic novel. Fanfiction.net would explode.

Edit- This is so oddly entertaining...

Oh man, another thought- Imagine all the "Self-Insert" fics with some random girl who obviously is meant to be a copy of the author getting sucked into the universe and meeting all the main characters (and banging half of them). It's already happened with Lord of the Rings and Pirates of the Carribean, and it'll happen again if Dark Counselors becomes a movie starring Orlando Bloom as Edge. I'm a sick, sick genius...

Edit- I'm sorry, Pick. I'm so sorry for what I did to your universe. I'm sorry that you'll never look at it in the same way again. I'm so sorry that I broke it.

Pick · Post by **Pick** » 2006-05-24 09:10pm

But I'd get royalties on all the merchandise. I can do what JP Rowling did! Whore out children!

Duckie · Post by **Duckie** » 2006-05-24 09:21pm

Hey, everybody, that'd be a fun game- make a cast for the Dark Councilors movie. Hmmm... let's whore out to Hollywood... Starring Orlando Bloom as Edge Argus! Starring Dakota Fanning as Nozoma Sitka!

Okay, serious question time as I've been a bit spammy:

Traitmaps don't change, right? So there are specific parts of an animal that Good beings and Evil being develop? Like, Ryvara wouldn't have gotten horns if she stayed good but the animal she's mapped to still has them, right? Alder's feathers come in differently based on his alignment but his animal has both? What would an Evil Selia look like, for instance? I can't think of any evil traits that the Pleisiosaur thing could have.

Also, might the Lazaari be like... uberZaa? I don't think this is a spoiler as you said we probably won't see them... Perhaps they are mapped to something even greater than a Crag, and can tolerate many more traits (enough to make them very like the animal that is their kida?).

Pick · Post by **Pick** » 2006-05-24 09:40pm

As for the maps, they're rather what-you-approach at the character's given alignment levels. I'd probably need to draw something different if their alignments were switched around. You're not going to get even remotely close to these anyway, though. Again, not too important so I haven't given it too much thought. Sorry

.

The Lazaari are... different. Nothing you know about the azzarn (or the Zaa. The Zaa are more azzarn than the Lazaari are Zaa.) is necessarily going to carry over to the Lazaari. Also, though I said we're almost certainly not going to see their nation, the Lazaari are still important.

And Nozoma's bloody 19

. Give her a break!

(I'd cast Selia with Jennifer Aniston. Because she's hot.)

Duckie · Post by **Duckie** » 2006-05-24 09:47pm

Pick wrote:As for the maps, they're rather what-you-approach at the character's given alignment levels. I'd probably need to draw something different if their alignments were switched around. You're not going to get even remotely close to these anyway, though. Again, not too important so I haven't given it too much thought. Sorry .

Ah, so the actual animal that traits develop from changes if the person does to a major degree. Ryvara that wasn't the mean horned foxwolfhound thing before she was abducted and made into a veritable Syvorian.

Wait, though. Kida, that is, traitmaps, are familial according to Shader's book. Although judging by Shader's parents, this isn't true... strange... Wouldn't being passed down by families make them genetic? Am I remembering that part incorrectly?

And Nozoma's bloody sappy and heartwarm/breaking, so she's Dakota Fanning. Although I might be a bit biased since I've never before empathized with a character enough to feel truly sad for them as with the Nozoma and Hoquer+Kamina scene and I'm still alternatively pissed with the character and the author for doing that to me.

(I can understand Jennifer being attractive, but Selia? Selia? The chick is rubbery and half seal/LochNessMonster hybrid! Loch. Ness. Monster! (

) Lizardgoat Hyral ftw.

)

Pick · Post by **Pick** » 2006-05-24 10:04pm

MRDOD wrote:Ah, so the actual animal that traits develop from changes if the person does to a major degree. Ryvara that wasn't the mean horned foxwolfhound thing before she was abducted and made into a veritable Syvorian.

Not exactly. The potential traits will always be the same, but some traits are dormant (such as Ryvara's family's horns when they're Good.)

Wait, though. Kida, that is, traitmaps, are familial according to Shader's book. Although judging by Shader's parents, this isn't true... strange... Wouldn't that make them genetic? Am I remembering that part incorrectly?

They are, but all the azzarn are incredibly interbred. Good stifles certain developments; Evil stifles others as things intermingle under the surface. Ryvara was that not-actually-very-big horned thing... potentially. She just was never in a position for those traits to arise. Also, Kida=!traitmaps. A kida is a group of individuals who generally demonstrate the same types of traits. A traitsmap (which is a bullshit word that I vow will never make it into the story) is a general guide of an individual person's developmental potentials, which can differ extraordinarily from person to person.

And Shader actually looks a lot like his parents even now. Here

And Nozoma's bloody sappy and heartwarm/breaking, so she's Dakota Fanning. Although I might be a bit biased since I've never before empathized with a character enough to feel truly sad for them as with the Nozoma and Hoquer+Kamina scene and I'm still alternatively pissed with the character and the author for doing that to me.

Nozoma certainly has a particular touch

. Still, you've got to be careful when you empathize with characters. The only character I promise you survives until the end is Shader.

God. This thread needs at least one sketch on this page

. Edit - Okay, now it's an old, unfinished picture of Zixer! That's what you get for teasing the sketch!

Duckie · Post by **Duckie** » 2006-05-24 10:31pm

Oooh. More Hoquer Bondage? I mean, Hoquer Muzzling? Yeah, Muzzling, that's what it is.

Edit- I sense a bad future for Hoquer. And thus Kamina. And Selia. And Nozoma. And Llanelia as a whole. And thus Alder. And Shader.

Darth Raptor · Post by **Darth Raptor** » 2006-05-24 11:42pm

I think you warped the poor duck's sexuality, Pick.

*goes off to write an Umber/Darius slash fic* (not really)

Pick · Post by **Pick** » 2006-05-24 11:48pm

Darth Raptor wrote:I think you warped the poor duck's sexuality, Pick.

*goes off to write an Umber/Darius slash fic* (not really)

I guess my story's just not popular enough yet to have really weird fan shit

. I am obviously very saddened by this (:P).

Jesus Christ, when was the last time I even mentioned Darius? When was the last time ANYONE CARED, either?

... Hey, he'll show up again!

Duckie · Post by **Duckie** » 2006-05-24 11:48pm

Darth Raptor wrote:I think you warped the poor duck's sexuality, Pick.

*goes off to write an Umber/Darius slash fic* (not really)

Bah! My mind was always in the gutter. Pick just managed to distract me with artwork long enough for me to accidentally chomp on my foot.

And I like tall women. Hoquer would need radical reconstructive surgery to fit that criteria.

(Notices Pick's Edit)

Hey, it's Zixer! Everyone's favorite Monodominant Inquisi... erm... I mean Basal Key!

His lack of eyes creeps me out. Ah. That does explain why he forgot to notice that Fvier has breasts, though. I totally forgot that he doesn't really have any, was only reminded my relooking at the Jhidderzhan to make sure.

Pick · Post by **Pick** » 2006-05-25 12:28am

He has artifical eyes; they work fine. He just tends to run with assumptions. Yes, and actual personality trait!!

HAY GUYS!

You have no comprehension of how much work this takes. But anyway

. Learning new programs, wheee, not fun at all!

Animation test:
Oh, snap!

Duckie · Post by **Duckie** » 2006-05-25 12:39am

Nice, although it seems to lack the polish in movement that the other two samples seemed to have. It might just be the awkwardness of Nozoma stepping into the scene, presumably.

And score another for Hoquer Bondage Joke/Hoquer Tragic Ending prediction meme.

...

Wait, Pick, why are you working on animation? You should be writing. I need my fix of Dark Counselors, goddamn it!

This is why I don't ever go to incomplete fics:

*refresh*
*refresh*
*refresh*
Hey, Pick's on! Maybe it's an update!
*refreshrefreshrefreshrefreshrefresh*

Pick · Post by **Pick** » 2006-05-25 12:43am

Dark Councilors is generally updated Friday nights/Saturdays, and very, very rarely during the week.

There's a half-day Friday, so I'll probably have one up then

.

(and it's choppy since I'm trying an even different program for this one on a demo, and I think I actually kind of like Frametoon better.)

Duckie · Post by **Duckie** » 2006-05-25 12:47am

Pick wrote:Dark Councilors is generally updated Friday nights/Saturdays, and very, very rarely during the week.

There's a half-day Friday, so I'll probably have one up then .

Like a confirmation of a schedule will stop the obsessive compulsive from refreshing over and over again in hopes that there's an update anyhow. What else am I supposed to do? I'm bored and it's midnight, there's nothing going on anyhow.

I think that (unless it's just your general inexperience with the tools of program) the ones made with the Frametoon seem to be superior in quality of motion.

Pick · Post by **Pick** » 2006-05-25 12:50am

It's mostly a conversion problem. I drew the frames with the intent to use them in Frametoon (which is PG->PG) but instead am trying a demo of Macromedia Flash (PG->Adobe). Much quality is lost. It's rather irritating, really, which is why I don't think I'll try and get the student copy through my school (plus there goes my pocket money for the summer... .)

Darth Raptor · Post by **Darth Raptor** » 2006-05-25 12:51am

Oh hey! Your animations work for me now! They didn't before, for some reason, but now they do!

Awesome!

*ahem* You could read MY fic, DOD (if you like Final Fantasy), and stop pestering the poor girl!

Duckie · Post by **Duckie** » 2006-05-25 12:56am

Darth Raptor wrote:Oh hey! Your animations work for me now! They didn't before, for some reason, but now they do!

Awesome!

*ahem* You could read MY fic, DOD (if you like Final Fantasy), and stop pestering the poor girl!

*looks up what a Final Fantasy is*

Okay why not, since you bothered to try to shamelessly self promote it can't be terrible enough to want to hide.

It's not pestering. It's... um... enthusiastic encouragement of the creative process. That's what it is. And I'm certain that as usual once I grow too annoying/talkative Pick will give me a STFU, I'll redfacedly vanish from the board in an attempt to comply, rediscover this fic, and the process will repeat again. It's the Circle of Too Much Time Without A Life.