I can say, being a fan of the Kumos, I'm actually a little disappointed in this. Why? Because it's the same old line-art with slight edits, same pose, and a reshade. I actually could not tell it was updated at all until someone posted the old with the new :(
I like that the proposed revamp isn't smiling honestly. I don't like that the Darkonite looks all leg and no meat/body to it.
I like the expression of the original Darkonite, and he seems a little too scrawny to me as well.. otherwise hes /ok/
Kumos is awesome, though! :)
ah, forgot to mention the new darkonite looks a little scrawny to me. now i'll be quiet.
i didn't really like the kumos reshade until i looked at it next to the original. it's much more subtle when you look at them next to each other, and it looks wonderful. :D the eyes look a little off to me, but the rest is fantastic. good job!
as for the darkonite.. adhgl;kl they're my favourite species, so of course i'm not too excited about a revamp. the eye farthest from the viewer looks.. off? somehow. and the back legs don't seem thick enough. the tail might be a bit too curly. the brain section looks a bit awkward. on the original it just shows a patch of the armour coming off and showing the exposed brain. on this one, it shows the exposed brain leading to the rest of the face- which is somehow unscathed. i don't know, it just seems like the section around the missing brain would be affected somehow? i also don't understand why the body spikes had to be made such a dark black. it's probably just the shading in the original, but i think they look a tad better when they're a lighter.. gray almost. i liked how the body markings on the darkonite branched up into the stomach.. if that could be kept, it'd be lovely. also, i liked how the armour plating on the stomach was kind of.. sunken in, on the original. small tweaks here and there. were i capable, i'd do an edit to express what i'm saying. it's not a bad proposal. it's just one that i'd like to see tweaked first.
PLEASE don't revamp the Graveyard Darkonite.. Everything is wrong with the new look of the Darkonite, the eyes, the head, the body, the paws.. Everything. It looks great now.. All that revamping doesn't work out.
Now that I have a moment, I decided to pull all three different versions of the Darkonite up and compare them side-by-side; so forgive me if I sound a little repetitive from my previous post as this one will have all my thoughts combined into one cohesive post XD
I may put comments next to each point, though some points may just speak for themselves and I don't feel the need to elaborate. If I don't mention certain parts it's not because I don't love or hate them, it's because I just find they work well and don't feel the need to mention them. There are just certain parts I love more than others.
Current:
Pros:
1) The eyes and rock helmet - They look as though they "flow" together. It's like the artist cut the areas out around the rock helmet out around the eyes so that the eyes fit perfectly in there. I also love the size of the iris. It's not almost invisible within the black sclera.
2) The dark stains on the legs - It looks like some weird, dangerous liquid that the Darkonite's been wading around in in some sort of pool located in the Darkside. It's well defined; like he just got out of that pool of dangerous liquid that only the Darkonite's immune to.
3) The tails - I love the uneven-ness about them. One's higher than the other and it just...fits...the look that the pet is in and of itself. I never imagined this pet to be meticulous in all areas. It's a rough, tough pet that seems almost zombie-like. It's not pretty and perfect like the Kumos, for example :P I also love the width of the points that are on the ends of the tail. It works very well. They looks almost lethal without the razor-sharp point.
4) The little, black nose and the muzzle- I love the size. It's just the perfect size, in my opinion. I also love how the muzzle isn't so bulbous in shape.
Cons:
1) The ears of the rock helmet - I don't like how they're uneven in width. Even a rough, tough-looking pet has evenly-widthed ears. One's way more narrow than the other and it looks off.
2) The eyes' size - Too wide; not much of anything for sheen.
3) Face and back horns/spines - They seem out of proportion. I'd've made the back horns/spines bigger than the ones on the face as the back can support more weight.
4) Horns surrounding the neck and legs- They look as though they've been just put on as an afterthought. They don't seem to really work with the pet; almost look as though they're falling off the body/sagging.
5) Chest armor - Too short. Would like to see it carry on down past the front legs some.
The pet as a whole looks, well, childish. The shape of the pet, its facial expression the way the legs, paws and back hooves aren't defined, the boxiness and the short, stubby legs. It looks more cartoonish than a real, virtual pet (a real virtual pet...that's rather ironic XD). That's why I voted for the following pet revamp which brings us to...
Revamp :
Pros:
1) The eyes and rock helmet - They flow very well together, emulating the current one. I love how the eyes aren't as wide, either. They're a little more narrow and a little more evil. I also like how a sheen was added to the eyes.
2) The ears of the rock helmet - They're a lot more even in width.
3) The lower jaw - It actually looks as though it has a lower jaw! Finally...it looks as though it can actually eat something! LOL! (...or someone? :o)
4) The face and back horns/spines- I love the proportion. The facial ones are smaller than the back ones. It works so much better.
5) The horns on the neck and legs - They work. They look like they're a part of the pet instead of an afterthough or falling off the pet. They're tight, clean and perfect. I like the thickness of the ones neck and back legs, too.
6) The chest armor - I love how it extends past the front legs along the rib cage and ending at the knee of the back legs.
7) The more clearly defined hooves and legs- They don't look so stiff like in the current. I also like the width of them.
8) The body - I love the sleekness of it. It's beautiful. The boxiness look was dropped.
9) The tuft of fur - I love the neatness of it.
10) The mouth - Last but certainly not least - that smile!!! I loved its sly smile a lot. It was like it was saying in a very, very sly, conniving, evil way, "Trusssst meeee..." >XD Once you do, you find yourself in a very, erm, how shall we say, dangerous situation? :P
Cons:
1) The eyes - The irises are just too small. It's like they almost gets lost within the black sclera. You can barely see them.
2) The tails - I find the width of the tails a little too thick and the points are too narrow. Also, I don't like how they curl so much.
3) The horns on the front legs - I find them a little too narrow
4) The paws - I find the toes to be much too bulbous. They seem out of character for the pet.
5) The stains - Not defined nearly enough. They look too faint. I love the just-got-out-of-that-dangerous-pool-of-liquid look that the current one has.
6) The nose and muzzle - The nose itself is too small and the muzzle is just too bulbous.
7) The whiskers - There are none. I personally like the Darkonite whisker-less, but I'm one of the vast minority, if not the only one, so felt the need to say it :P
8) The rock helmet's sheen - I don't care for it. I always envisioned that helmet to be matte in finish (no shine whatsoever), not glossy.
9) The body's sheen - I can understand fur having some gloss/sheen to it, but not that much. It looks more like a plastic action figure than a pet.
10) The head tilt - I miss being able to see more of the right side of the face like you can on the current version
Other than that, I feel as though the pet was much better done over the current design. Then this other version came out with brings us to...
Revamp :
Pros:
1) The paws and hooves - I love how the toes aren't as bulbous and that the hooves are actually thicker in height. I also like how the fur is more defined above the hooves
2) The stains - Yay! It has the just-got-out-of-that-dangerous-pool-of-liquid look again!
3) The horns on the front legs - I love the thickness of them
4) The whiskers
5) The eyes - I like how the irises are bigger. You can see it better than in Revamp
6) The tails - I like the width of them. They don't look like they could snap off at any given moment, like in the current, but they don't look overly thick, either, like in Revamp . I also like how the bases of them are closer together instead of being so widely spread appart like in Revamp .
Cons:
1) The mouth - I miss that smile. The way the mouth looks right now is that it's disgusted with something/angry with itself. I loved the evil seduction that came with that smile in Revamp ...it gave it character.
2) The nose and muzzle - The nose is still too small and the muzzle is still too bulbous
3) The neck and back leg horns - I find the neck ones too short. They're a lot more visible in Revamp and look better in that version and they're also too thin. The back leg horns are too thin as well.
4) The eyes - I still don't find the irises are big enough. While I put in the pros that the size was better than Revamp , I still find they're too small within the sclera. With the sheen right on top of them it adds to the hidden look.
5) The tails - I don't care for the points. They still seem too narrow. They'd look a lot better if they were widened ever so slightly.
6) The face and back spikes - I don't like how the top one is almost hidden inbehind the rock helmet's left ear. It's almost like it's invisible. I also don't like how the face and the back spikes are the same size. I feel as though the back spikes should be larger.
7) The sheen - I still find there's too much sheen on the rock helmet. There's also way too much on the chest armor and hooves. I personally feel as though the chest armor and hooves should be the same as the rock helmet - completely matte in finish. There's too much sheen on the rest of the fur, too. I've never seen an overly-glossy furred pet in reality. I know this is Subeta and it has virtual pets, but the excessive gloss makes it feel like a plastic action figure instead of the gloss that's commonly found on a pet.
8) The rock helmet's ears - They're uneven in width again, unlike Revamp . I still feel as though the ears should be even in width and length.
9) The eyes and rock helmet - It feels as though the eyes were cut and pasted on top of the helmet. It looks really funny. It doesn't have the same definition as Revamp and the current versions have.
10) The chest armor - I find it's too thick. I like the sleekness that's found in Revamp . This one just looks out of proportion to the body's sleekness. I also find the amount of visible segments lacking like there are in Revamp .
11) The legs - They're way, way too stiff. It's like an overly-stuffed stuffed animal. There's no definition at all in the legs. The best legs are on Revamp . There's clear definition.
In Regards To Both Revamps:
I read how some people didn't like how the back legs looked shorter than the front. Do to its pose being on a slight downward-slant, they have to be like that. In a position such as that the rear legs will always look shorter than the front. Same if it was standing on an upwards-slant - the back legs would look longer than the front. It's just the way things happen naturally to show that the animal is in a slanted position. If the Darkonite was standing on a flat plane, all four legs would be even in length.
My Final Choice?
If Revamp kept the pros it currently has and had the pros of the current and Revamp 's added in, I think it'd make a damn fine pet. As it is, my overall choice would be for Revamp over the current or Revamp . I only voted for Revamp in the poll as the first revamp wasn't available.
The new Darkonite seems lacking the dour expression that the old one had, it seems more slender than stocky,the legs could stand to be thicker to me, and the snouts angle seems alittle off.
I really like the proposed Darkonite revamp, it's so lean and athletic and that slight sneer is awesome. Would be nice to see it with the old style chest plating, but other than that, looks good to me!
I like a lot about the new Darkonite, but I like the style of the old Darkonite's chest and head "plating", and the old version's ears. The new one also seems somehow.... lopsided. Like it's leaning away from the camera, instead of standing proudly or menacingly. I think part of it has to do with the angle of the line on the "chest plate" and the placement of it's head. As for voting, I suppose it's no surprise that I will probably vote for the old one. I like both versions, but the new version has a totally different aura to it. It seems to harmless. The Kumos edits are wonderful, though~! :D
I prefer the slightly splayed legs of the old version of the Darkonite, as well as the old eyes. The newer eyes seem too bright, honestly. I also prefer the positioning of the open area of its skull/helmet in the older design. To me, it doesn't make sense how the arched brow attaches to the pinkish (brain?) area-- it makes the face seem like a mask that sits on the front of its head. The older design seems to avoid this area by making it seem more as if the brow just raises above the skull/helmet piece.
Good job on the Kumos. The Darkonite is one of my favorite pets, and I think the update just takes its personality away. I do not like it at all. They're supposed to be some demonic creature, and it looks too happy for a demon. It should be darker in some way :'(
I like the Kumos good job on that ^_^ The Darkonite revamp over all is really good too. The only thing about it that really bugs me is the tail tips and ankles are way to lightly shaded. The old one had more shading on the tail tips and ankles that just made it feel a lot more menacing if that makes sense?
The snout could use work and the back leg a little thicker for me to vote for the new Darkonite
I like the new Darkonite although the chest plate needs a bit more detail, and I liked the eyes better on the old one.
Love the new darkonite <3
I like the new Darkonite overall but I like the old eyes better...
I am really happy with that Kumos update. I have a basic Dusk Kumos and it just looks... so much better. I love the slight smile shadow.
The new Darkonite's face just doesn't seem right. I mean, the art itself isn't bad, and the old Darkonite does need a revamp, but not this one. It doesn't look as hostile, and the eyes and nose just don't look like a Darkonite's. I wish I was better at wording my criticism...
More of a Glare :) That's all I'd say. I've always seen the Darkonite more of a hostile, protective and fierce. The body looks fine :) I'm not really a Darkonite fan to really say much other than the eyes should be more narrow.
I like the whole body of the new Darkonite better, but the face... I'm not really liking its face. I prefer the face of the old one. The brows are so thick and raised over the helmet on the new one, and with the eyes more squinted, it only makes them look bigger.
I'm voting current, but i really like the new tail. The new ears look a bit more fitting as well.
I'm usually a fan of the revamped art, but in the case of the Darkonite, i never did like it as well as the original and i had hoped you'd simply forgotten about revamping it. The face and expression are WAAAY better on the original. The shape of the eyes, the mouth, the spikes on the side of its head, the location of the hole in the skull...all much better on the original...and the "horns" on the revamp are too big and bulky. The ONLY good thing about the revamp is the feet. But the legs, not so much. The original looked "squattier" or something, but i think those legs look better on it. The original has this kind of nasty, zombified chibi thing going on, which is a neat little paradox, and the revamp just looks...awkwardly cute. Bleh. I really do not like its face, it's a complete downgrade from the original. I don't think the Darkonite needs a revamp at all; it's perfect as it is. I've been planning to get one of these, as it's actually one of my favorite pets, but if this revamp goes through, i probably won't.
The Kumos recoloring, on the other hand, is a subtle but definite improvement. :)
"I love how people are complaining about the eyes. Seriously if you have to complain about something ad minuscule as the eyes"
Eyes are kind of a big deal for a lot of people. It's often one of the first things we notice, and there's nothing picky about wanting the art on this site to look good without relying on overlays. Overlays are nice if you want more customization for your pet, but I wouldn't want to use them just because I don't think the oficial art isn't good enough. I have higher expectations of Subeta's artists than that.
Okay, I got a little ranty there, but while some comments here can be rather harsh, the comment section is here so people can leave feedback, good and bad.
I also agree that the new Darkonite could benefit from more grunge.
The stance of the old Darkonite had more weight to it--it looked like it was firmly planted on the ground, maybe because the front paws are a little splayed. That's the only minor nitpick I can really think of--I personally quite like this revamp.
Lovely fur and eyes on the new Kumos.
I still dislike the "Mickey Mouse" snout on the Darkonite, coupled with the fact it doesn't look as angry any more :( I also wish it looked furrier, instead of looking like it has a body suit on.
MUCH better than the previous revamp. I like this one a lot, but wish the eye scar could have been kept. Perhaps that was an oversight?
Why revamp the Darkonite into something ugly? It looks fantastic now!
Why revamp the Darkonite into something ugly? It looks fantastic now!
The feet are a vast improvement for the proposed darkonite but I don't particularly like the pose and wish it was a bit more grungy.
I love the new art, shame the eye mark -scar?- had to go, I liked that little detail :(
I love a lot about the new Darkonite but there's just things missing that I enjoy about the old. They're minuscule I know but they really made the old one for me. The small eye marking? Love it and I'd be sad to see it missing from a new revamp. The sort of dirty look that covered the legs is missing from the tails in the new revamp. Helmet/top of the head looks weird, sort of like it doesn't fit right? Last the pose. Goodness, it looks so...forced? Like the Darkonite is posing stiffly for some show? It's too bad it looks like the new revamp will win so far; I loved the old one. Either way, the art is beautiful for the new one. (:
I have to say that while this is better than the last attempt at a revamp, I don't particularly enjoy the art on this new revamp and still prefer the older / current version. :c The art quality has definitely increased but I just feel like the pose of the new version looks extremely stiff and the face, especially the mouth, looks extremely awkward to me. It also doesn't help that the shading on this version is extremely 'shiny' and smooth, which makes it look more like a toy than a pet.
New Kumos looks great!
My only issue with the Darkonite is its eyes, it looks like that are protruding over it's head-hat-skull thing, rather than the other way around. I think it's the shading around the eyes. :)
Aww I love the new Kumos! It looks so soft o3o
I must admit the current Darkonite looks...childish. Very childish. I voted for the new for that very reason. I have to say, though, that on Revamp of the Darkonite, I loved its sly smile a lot. It was like it was saying in a very, very sly, conniving, evil way, "Trusssst meee..." >XD
I'd love Revamp even more if it had Revamp 1's smile XD I'm not a Darkonite fan, but certainly love that smile! XD
I also like how Revamp isn't as boxy as the first. It's sleeker, thinner and looks better. However, I wish the legs weren't so stiff...
Defiantly love both of them c: Voted for the newer Darkonite
I love how people are complaining about the eyes. Seriously if you have to complain about something ad minuscule as the eyes and are to lazy to edit them yourself or pay someone to do it for a pet overlay then you're being way to picky. Its called overlays to the people who don't like it. Don't use overlays then to bad, don't like it because you can't have an overlay for pet friends, then your being a bit to picky.
Personally I like both new designs. Any kind of improvement is a good one and the artists are still doing a great job.
I voted for the old one, but only because everything about the pose for the new one looks stiff and awkward. Something about how its holding its head. The face around the nose/upper snout area looks a bit odd, too, although I like the mouth.
I love Kumos so much!!! Glad to see the revamp did not alter him in a significant way :3
Regarding the Darkonite... the gash in the head of the new version freaks me out slightly... I guess it's too realistic for me. Other than that, I'd rather have the new version.
I really prefer the facial expression, tail, and overall leg shape of the original darkonite.
In regards to the purposed Darkonite update:
I do like the way that the body is updated on the newer one. I really like the updated coloring/shading on the whole body. The hooves and the paws are nicely done on the new one. I even like the updated shape of the tail.The chest 'plate' looks cleaner with the fewer number of lines, and the two spikes on the back look much nicer with their new silverish color.
I do not, however, like the face/head at all on the new one. It just does not remind me of the original at all. It almost seems like it's supposed to be a completely different animal. I love my Arid Darkonite (he is my first pet and my favorite by far) and I would be completely devastated if his face/head were to be updated to this. The things that I do not like: The overall shape of the face/head, it almost looks like it's too skinny to match the rest of the body (it lost some of it's wonderful shape; the glassy, smaller shaped eyes, along with the darker colored iris; the odd shaped grin on it's face; the new curve of it's nose/snout; the wrinkled and lumpy head and horns; the new crinkled whiskers or hairs off the side of it's face. I do, in interests of adding a positive, like the updated hair right above the piece of brain. The hair has nicely updated shading that makes it fit in with our 'Human' wigs in our wardrobes.
Take a look at Disney's post. It could probably do with some work, it's missing the belly-markings and eye scar... thing D;
Much better than the first revamp though, looks feline again. :)
I don't care for the angular feel of the new, now, i do understand that these aren't meant to look like real things, but the head gash looks add and too much. I voted for the old version, i like the roundness of the face and the body.
I like the new darkonite, but I think the eyes are a little too dark,
I think the updated Darkonite is looking great, so much improvement! Definitely voting for this new version!
I don't usually vote for the old stuff, but in this case I think that the new art could benefit from some more time spent on it, for reasons that other people have already stated. It's definitely not bad, but it could still be improved.
Curious how this will eventually affect my Chibi Darkonite, but I love the new version! =3
That's why it was stated that only slight changes were made :P It would've been cool had the Kumos turned more wolf-like, but it's still awesome. I love how it looks fluffier and how its head tilts a bit, too :P