Opening a box: Lessons in Sam character creation

[Rynnie]

For the 200th Sam, I made a certain character.

Name: Whitewater of Tideshaped Mistveil
Species: Hybrid (Northern Aquatic)
Gender: Female
Traits: Fluffy, Full Tufts, Pure Black Eyes, Whiskers, Multiple Tail, Back Fin, Cheek Fins, Head Fins, Extensive Fins
Features: Stream lined body, valves to close ears and nose trails when submerged, palate that blocks entry of water.

Description

Ability: Swimming

New Special Traits:

Back Fins -- Back Fins are aptly named fins that aid in swimming, running down the back from head to tail. Uncommon to rare, restricted to Aquatics.

Cheek Fins -- Cheek Fins grow from the backs of the cheeks. Rare or very rare, restricted to Aquatics.

Head Fins -- Purely decorative fins, growing from the head. Rare or very rare, restricted to Aquatics.

Extensive Fins -- Fins that are longer and larger than normal, and appear more decorative, although Extensive Fins do aid in swimming. Uncommon, restricted to Aquatics.

Color/Markings: Pure white undercoat, with aquamarine fins. Her coat on back, flanks, head, ears and tail lightly tipped with blue, evenly distributed. (See Silver Chinchilla cat for reference.) The grey has been supressed to the extremities, e.g. legs, mane, edges of the fins and tips of the ears. (See Bay Arabian horse for reference.)

Character Notes: Whitewater is careful to maintain her appearance, seeming deceptively fastidious. She actually actively uses her long fluffy fur and decorative fins to manipulate unwary stallions and conceal her keen intellect. Other mares may sense this, and attempt to reveal her scheme. Confident, but deeply abhorring confrontation, she will not answer the mare directly, but instead attempt to disgrace or discredit the mare, particularly in front of the stallion in question. Her name reflects her preference for manipulation, tricks and stratagems, and the attendant dangers.

I'd very much like advanced critique on the profile, and opinions. Should I play the above character, even if she does not exist as a Sam?

[RikkuGirl]

Twas quite hard to read, ^_^;; even with a 25 in comp screen! o.o BUT! Thank goodness for word. ^_^ *wiggles*

:3 she sounds wonderful. Personally I dont suggest anything because it is YOUR personal dream ^^;; I just wonder how fluffy and finned are gonig to work together, wouldnt long fur slow down swimming? ^^;;

Sounds awesome though!

For those who cant read it...

Name: Whitewater of Tideshaped Mistveil
Species: Hybrid (Northern Aquatic)
Gender: Female
Traits: Fluffy, Full Tufts, Pure Black Eyes, Whiskers, Multiple Tail, Back Fin, Cheek Fins, Head Fins, Extensive Fins
Features: Stream lined body, valves to close ears and nose trails when submerged, palate that blocks entry of water.

Description

Ability: Swimming

New Special Traits:

Back Fins -- Back Fins are aptly named fins that aid in swimming, running down the back from head to tail. Uncommon to rare, restricted to Aquatics.

Cheek Fins -- Cheek Fins grow from the backs of the cheeks. Rare or very rare, restricted to Aquatics.

Head Fins -- Purely decorative fins, growing from the head. Rare or very rare, restricted to Aquatics.

Extensive Fins -- Fins that are longer and larger than normal, and appear more decorative, although Extensive Fins do aid in swimming. Uncommon, restricted to Aquatics.

Color/Markings: Pure white undercoat, with aquamarine fins. Her coat on back, flanks, head, ears and tail lightly tipped with blue, evenly distributed. (See Silver Chinchilla cat for reference.) The grey has been supressed to the extremities, e.g. legs, mane, edges of the fins and tips of the ears. (See Bay Arabian horse for reference.)

Character Notes: Whitewater is careful to maintain her appearance, seeming deceptively fastidious. She actually actively uses her long fluffy fur and decorative fins to manipulate unwary stallions and conceal her keen intellect. Other mares may sense this, and attempt to reveal her scheme. Confident, but deeply abhorring confrontation, she will not answer the mare directly, but instead attempt to disgrace or discredit the mare, particularly in front of the stallion in question. Her name reflects her preference for manipulation, tricks and stratagems, and the attendant dangers.

[Jennalyn]

I can't find any objections to the concept in and of itself. You might want to include a few character flaws, explaining where her weaknesses are and what trips her up. I'm sure that somewhere, somehow, a Northern and an Aquatic could meet to produce a fluffy little waterbaby. xD Her name's probably the only thing that strikes me as off. It's like you're trying to cram six words into three and doesn't flow well. Tideshaped is fine. Whitewater's okay. Mistveil's really awkward on the tongue. Maybe Whitewater of the Misty Veil or Mist of the Tideshaped Veil or something like that?

[RikkuGirl]

I can't find any objections to the concept in and of itself. You might want to include a few character flaws, explaining where her weaknesses are and what trips her up. I'm sure that somewhere, somehow, a Northern and an Aquatic could meet to produce a fluffy little waterbaby. xD Her name's probably the only thing that strikes me as off. It's like you're trying to cram six words into three and doesn't flow well. Tideshaped is fine. Whitewater's okay. Mistveil's really awkward on the tongue. Maybe Whitewater of the Misty Veil or Mist of the Tideshaped Veil or something like that?

*Nods* ^^ i agree. :3

[Rynnie]

Sorry, Rikku, my PC makes the words larger than most.

Will I have to adjust the 'special traits'? (Sushi only allowed these to be included for the duration of the contest, didn't she?) Those were derived from existing Sam traits, but finned. I know Fin Ears and Fin Wings exist, but the rest?

Jenn: Yeah, I fail at Sam names. I was trying to cram six words into three, based off some favourite M:tG card names. Whitewater has to stay, and Tideshaped, I think. Mistveil I do not truthfully like, and could replace, in an inkling.

I looked up Aquatics, btw, and your foal isn't showing up. *sleevetug* Can you make your colt show up? Pookawitch and Unyko own some cute fluff between them.

In an aside, and off-topic: Esterberry + Highlands XD;;; You, go, girl! You need to nab Xenon's Glacier Northern from her current song. Because all SOD inspired Sams belong together. ^^

[Jennalyn]

If the traits don't already exist then I'd say you probably have to adjust them, unless you're ordering a commission custom and paying extra for the new traits. I think she has prices for that on her commissions page. They're only available in purchased commissions or very super-special contests, though.

The foal isn't showing up yet in the database because Sushi hasn't uploaded his watermarked image yet. Their link is correct for when that happens, though, which will probably be some time after the convention. You can visit his page on my server if you'd like to see him.

xD Nuu, no Song-nabbing in any way! Blaze has a full Song and his quite content with his ladies. He even managed to snag an unintential Hisstor along the way. Besides, she's a Northern and I firmly believe that Northerns belong in Northern Songs. :3 Hee. A personal preference of mine.

[Rynnie]

I might hang onto the design awhile, see if the traits appear without my interference. Ear Fins, for instance, are almost exactly what I'd wanted, but I had nothing to do with.

He's gorgeous. How did Sam X Sam get an Aquatic? Modiem? Um...some list. *scrolls* I noticed every Sam is a "Something of the Something Something" except for the Elementals. ^^

I see you have quite a few open songs, except for Fiery Gemstones, Livid Spike, Resonant Echo, Restored Oasis. Useful to know, especially as I play about with designing new Sams. ^^

[Perf]

Well, now that your idea is an official breed (are you Delicious on the PI forums?), that should help with the character creation.

The only thing I would suggest otherwise is that the name seems a little "clunky", or maybe not clunky but it's hard to get out of the mouth. I realize the name probably plays a really important role for your character, but with all the words being two words mushed together it's a mouthful.

And I love her personality! I can totally see her using her floof to woo the boys, heehee.

[RikkuGirl]

Name suggestion!

Whitewater of the Misty Tides

*wiggles* ^^ That flows alot better if you ask me :3 but then again, I like klunky *glomps perf* :3

[Rynnie]

Sorry, Perf, I'm not Delicious. I don't use my PI account actively in SotR, thus I seldom reference said account. I'd confuse Jenn, et al., who associate me with a different s/n. I was very excited to see my idea become an official breed, however. ^^

I like clunky myself, Rikku, but for the given instance, perhaps I overdid the words...I'm making another character now.

ETA: I had to drop the character creation when my word count passed. Clearly, I'm going to need a guide and walk through for the air mystic...

[Delicious]

Bwahaha - no, Delicious on PI is Delicious here, just .... much less of a frequenter of these forums. Am tickled pink that someone else was thinking along those species lines though! The stallion does sound absolutely smashing, I look forward to his coming to life!