where are daredevil covers when you need them

We’ve got a new ancient, vigils, and the hatchlings are devastatingly ugly. Starts things on a bad foot to see THAT crawling out of a clanbound egg. People have been clamoring for an ugly hatchling for a while; I don’t get it, but I guess they’re happy now.

I’m not fussed about the hatchling form—they outgrow it fast—but the adults aren’t doing it for me either. The cyclops gem eye is just so off-putting. It’s frustrating because I think the adult poses are otherwise quite solid. They look fierce, combat-oriented, classically draconic in a way most breeds aren’t. But man. The eye ruins them. I’m planning to salvage my clanbound with light primal to obscure the gem. Not sure what I’m going to do about the obligatory Razanei kid. Where are daredevil covers when you need them?

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Seeing the vigil reception has me extra bummed about the dusthide reception two years ago. Not everyone likes vigils. A lot of people, like me, are put off by the gem eye and the scrungly hatchlings. But all the non-fans are oh-so-polite about it. “Not my cup of tea, but that’s okay! I know lots of other people enjoy them!” The classic new breed dislike thread is dripping with this kind of treacle.

Dusthides, though: people hated them passionately and without reservation. There was no politesse in sight. Just insane levels of vitriol directed towards these round-headed dinos who curl up in a ball. I thought they were chill little dudes, not super exciting, mildly above average as ancients go. The outpouring of hatred both shocked and annoyed me. How you gonna be so mad about an inoffensive little dino.

Sadly I think the art staff took that criticism to heart and said, “Okay, if you don’t like inoffensive designs, we will make offensive ones instead” and for some reason this has led to better fan reception, but I like the designs less. Well, “offensive” is hyperbole, but I feel there’s been a concerted effort to make designs that are niche and controversial rather than safe. We’ve had fat grubs. (Luxes had vocal detractors, but just as many vocal fans who punched back hard. Dusthide fans didn’t punch back, they just sat sadly in the corner.) We had Horses for Horse Girls, and then “these things can vote?” Now it’s vigils. Basically, the post-dusthide ancients have been 1-for-4 for me. Bad ratio.

(I am holding out hope that I get used to the gem eye in time. It could happen. I used to dislike m ridgeback snoot and now I think it’s great.)

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(left is adult vigil, right is dusthide)