Suggestions

I noticed the Sandsurge Blend adjustments going through this evening and managed to capture some before and after images for comparison and I'm honestly baffled by the decision to flip the gradient on the fins on the head. I want to be clear that I'm not objecting to minor adjustments to the severity of the gradient on Fade/Blend (which was on the error thread). What concerns me is that this is a major change in gradient [i]direction[/i] that was not indicated on the bug report thread. The end result is a major change to the art for a gem breed that has been available for 7 months at this point. I adore Sandsurges and many of my dragons have been significantly altered by this. This is more than a minor adjustment to the intensity of the gradient (as indicated on the error thread), this is a change in the direction of the accent colors, leading to very noticeable changes. I ask that staff please reconsider flipping a color gradient at this stage when it was not clearly indicated that this was the type of change being considered well in advance. [center][b]Original:[/b] [img]https://i.imgur.com/AWaB2GS.png[/img] [b]Updated:[/b] [img]https://i.imgur.com/eoeKL87.png[/img] ----- [b]Original:[/b] [img]https://i.imgur.com/UhfCHvz.png[/img] [b]Updated:[/b] [img]https://i.imgur.com/2XFA2E9.png[/img] ----- [b]Original:[/b] [img]https://i.imgur.com/S2SwwYx.png[/img] [b]Updated:[/b] [img]https://i.imgur.com/FqLM82j.png[/img][/center] [b]Edit:[/b] want to emphasize that [b]my objection is not primarily about personal preference[/b] or "consistency" to established breeds in this case. [b]It's largely driven by a major change to where accent colors are applied on a [i]gem breed, 7 months post-release[/i][/b]. If the error report had clearly stated that the [i]direction[/i] of the accent colors would be changed on the headfin, then I would have been able to make informed decisions about the many, [i]many[/i] Sandsurge projects I have personally gened since release. [b]Since the error report only mentioned the intensity of the gradient being adjusted, this change caught me off-guard.[/b] [b]Edit 2:[/b] For me this isn't really about an aesthetic preference, it's about communication, significant changes to existing dragons, and timelines. This change going through within a few weeks of the Sandsurge release? Acceptable. Especially if when the bug was reported, they indicated that the color placement on the headfins would be changed. The problem is that this comes over half a year late when the only indications that I can recall being in the error thread were comments about the abrupt gradient being more intense than on modern breeds. I keep up with error reports to avoid being surprised! But it was not clear that the placement of colors would shift to this degree, and that is my objection.

Uh-oh

EDIT: this Auraboa Paisley thread is still up and going and now they're just making this worse for themselves. I'm gonna lose my mind??? why would they...??????? if it's not clear from my tone already yes please revert this AS WELL. STOP making these kinds of changes to genes that've already been around for a while, especially without proper warning (such as actually stating the intended change in the gene errors threads). I'm so?????????

Full support. This seems like a very jarring and much more intense "opposite" gradient than some of the other species that have an opposite gradient on their mane area (coatl, imperial).

I personally also think that they should be in the same direction as similarly finned breeds, like bogsneaks.

I am baffled by this change. It legitimately looks like a bug to me now. This doesn't look like gradient severity adjustments, they just completely changed the entire gene???

Aw barnacles, here we go again...Arguably even worse this time since this is a gem breed people shill money out for way more often than a treasure breed. Fae and Bogsneaks don't have this on their frills...!

Full support. They said nothing about updating the direction of the gradient, so it's just another Paisley blindside. worse, actually! It's only now sinking in the audacity of this not being said. At least say something about it in the error thread?????? Man...

(To be clear, my issue is also with the lack of communication. I feel it looks fine either way, but for the love of high heavens can they at Least communicate with the userbase?????????????????)

No support. I honestly really love how the head fins are now clearly distinguished from the back fins with this change! It looks so nice on some colors especially. Like Phthalo! Edit: I'm literally getting a Sandsurge with a Darts Tert for the first time because of this change. I love how it makes the head fins pop! [center][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/dgen/preview/dragon?age=1&body=121&bodygene=191&breed=23&element=2&eyetype=0&gender=1&tert=121&tertgene=177&winggene=191&wings=121&auth=5acf1923ddf725c273180f694f14614438d7f944&dummyext=prev.png[/img][/center] And just a preemptive thing: please don't harass me if you disagree with me. I'm not here to start arguments and I'm not interested.

no support on reverting the gradient; I especially like how the updated headfins' gradient visually breaks up the headfins from the wings

staff does post genes-to-be-corrected threads, so gene updates aren't completely coming out of left field, and blend itself is a treasure gene o3o


edit: I do support staff giving a heads up of how a gene is to be updated, like 'reverse gradient on sandsurge headfins via blend'

Support.
Staff really needs to give indications that these genes are bugged in the first place.

(Editing to elaborate.) A lot of these fixes aren't fixes, IMO, it's preference based off of how some artists think it should look- Fair enough, but I do think they need to give users indication of broken genes before buying them at the very least, if not polls announced on the sidebar on the site's splashpage, that these are under consideration for being updated.

something something about those who forget the past being doomed to repeat it (obelisk flair)