š Letās Talk Dragons!
Hey everyone!
Iām getting ready to start work on the model for our upcoming dragon-based race, and I thought itād be awesome to get your input before I dive in.
Dragons are super diverse in the furry world ā from sleek and elegant to strong and beastly, anthro Western types or smooth-scaled Eastern types. Before I pick a final design direction, Iād love to hear from you, something like...
Whatās your favorite type of dragon-based furry design?
Any existing characters or games you love the look of?
Horns, wings, tails, claws ā what stands out to you most?
Drop references, links, or just descriptions ā everything helps.
Iāll incorporate some of the most common ideas and preferences into the base model where possible. And who knows ā maybe your dream dragon ends up in-game.
Letās make something blazing like fire together.š
Oh, and if the poll result turns out differently later, these discussions still stand as a good reference I can use in the future.
Comments (16)
So here are my 2 fav looks of dragons: https://e621.net/posts?tags=cyra_%28gearslavehorse%29 https://e621.net/posts?tags=midnight_%28yasmil%29
They are both beautiful dragonesses. Long hair is a good haircut for the dragonkin.
horns, wings, claws, all of it is really good
Indeed, without horns, wings, and claws, itās hard to call something a dragon truly. Those are the essentials that give them their iconic edge.
If you go for the more western anthro dragon look, I hope you give at least one of the characters a Kobold friend that hangs around them, to go with the fantasy/DnD trope of Dragons having Kobold servants/helpers
The idea of a happy, cute little lizard friend tagging along is honestly super charming ā it really would enrich the dragonkinās vibe. That said, adding a smaller race like kobolds (or goblins, fennec foxes, etc.) would definitely take some extra work, since they'd fall below the current minimum NPC height and need a completely different framework to look and move right in scenes. Stillā¦ youāve got me thinking. I might quietly experiment behind the scenes to see how feasible it is to build a āsuper short raceā system. No promises yet, but it's a good concept.
Dragons as a whole are always a win but if I had to specify anything similar to lluisabadias depictions of various DND style dragons is amazing. Being bigger taller generally more beautiful/handsom is always a bonus. Spikes horns wings and claws are a must. The pointier and sharper looking the better. Teeth and a muzzle that scares you is the best part as facial structure is crucial. But furred dragons are also really cool as well Sisu from Raya and the last dragon was a nice design but any other sort of Eastern or furred dragon is also cool. But regardless of personal interests Iām sure anything you make will be awsome as it has been so far. Looking forward to whatever you do.
I looked up Lluisabadias's work ā those dragons really are formidable, especially with that defined facial structure and powerful build. I think Iāll need to come up with a few unique horn designs just for the dragonkin, to help them stand out more from the rest of the race. As for Eastern dragons, Sisuās smoother, more cartoonish style actually leans closer to the art direction Iām working with. What I really want is to find a sweet spot ā something between stylized and grounded ā where the character still feels powerful, but fits naturally into the world Iām building.
Can't really add anything, since what's already been added fits perfectly with what I think of dragons
Iām really glad the direction so far is matching what you envision too. Feels good to know the core dragon elements are lining up with what people want to see.
I love the classic western dragon. I like horns, back spikes, flat chested (because lizard), and winged. Personally, if a dragon is not the biggest thing in whatever space they're occupying (physically, and personality wise) then that's not a true dragon. Part of the fantasy for dragons is conquering something that immense and powerful. Le Guin's dragons do an excellent job of being both highly intelligent, and alien beasts. Because a dragon should always be the apex monster, it's just that in smut, it's fun to imagine taking that monster. If it's just a reptilian character with spines, then it may as well just be a lizardman. A dragon is about personality, arrogance, will, charisma, which just makes it even better when you overcome them. There's a reason why the Romanian word for dragon can also mean "The Devil", because they are the pinnacle of monsters, the godzillas of their period. And who doesn't want to claim they fucked that and lived? Hells, in another sense, dragons became a symbol of "wilful and disobedient" women. There's period paintings of St George slaying the dragon, where the dragon clearly has a vagina. So a dragoness should be, classically, a wilful and potent woman, a representation of female disobedience. And again, how much better does that make it, to play as a character who gets to fuck that?
Iāll admit I havenāt read Le Guinās work myself, but I did just look it up. To really bring out the core of a dragon, I agree itās not just about appearance. A prideful, aloof personality paired with a powerful design can make for a much stronger and more memorable experience, though adding new personality won't come along with the updates for this month. As for size ā right now, the tallest NPCs are about the same scale as the protagonist. But when it comes to being an apex presence, I totally get that a more defined, toned build would help sell that power and dominance. Iāll definitely look into giving all NPCs more muscular variation when modeling dragon-based anthro.
Based on the argonians of elder scrolls dragon ladies are the best
Skyrim ā good times. I actually started off as a Khajiit girl the first time I played! Argonians definitely share some DNA with dragons, though Iāll admit my memory of their look has gotten a bit fuzzy over the years. Might be time to open up Steam and remind myselfā¦ and then immediately lose a whole week to the game again.
The Draconids from Carnal Instinct might be good inspiration
The character designs in Carnal Instinct lean toward a more realistic style, which is quite different from mine, but I agree that the scales, patterns, and horns are strong points that I can draw inspiration from. One thing Iāve been debatingā¦ Would you all be okay if future dragonkin had hair? I know itās not traditionally lizard-like, but depending on the style, it might add some personality without taking away from their draconic look.