Suggestions

Support! I feel like this could allow staff to add "more genes" via having variants by adjusting the coding on each gene variant to change color gradients, markings, opacity, or other things about the gene. The easiest would most likely be changing how the layers on certain genes like okapi, tiger, and runes are rendered.

These new variations could also allow staff/artists to re-tread certain genes to their hearts extent without messing up already existing dragons. (I.E. Flair)

Support, espes now that we lost out on a chance of prettier flair variants on non-obelisk breeds!

OOH i love this it would be such a good way to enhance the game.. personally id love for it to be an rng thing with breeding if the variant scroll was cheap (i think 50kt is a good price tbh)

I love this idea for variants!

I agree it may be added work for little need. More work for the art team, etc. But at the same time, I think it'd be very cool!

In my opinion its like. I wouldn't need new, original, genes released as often if a variant is released. Like, it just adds more potential to old genes that maybe people dont notice as often.

One of my favorite colors is Forest. But I really only like Forest when its accent color is that red accent color (or the gorgeous dark purple-y color of Pinstripe). I hate the yellow accent colors it sometimes has.

So a variant of, say, poison or ribbon where instead of yellow its either just red, or maybe another shade of green would delight me immensely! Sometimes I don't want accent colors in my genes. Like stitched. I never use the stitched gene because there's just too many accent colors and it's not my taste. Imagine fade/blend where there isn't an accent color! Its just a lighter/darker shade of the same color. I want that SO BADLY. And there's no point making a separate gene for it. Just do a variant.

It also makes the genes more realistic. No animal has 100% identical markings. So dragons logically shouldn't either. It would just make dragon design a lot more fun and exciting and unique!

With that in mind, here's my opinions on breeding or scrolls:

I do NOT think each variants should be their own scroll per gene (I think everyone agrees with this). We already have ancient breeds giving us that issue. A treasure sink scroll that you buy and it unlocks all their variants of a gene (prime, second or tert) on that dragon however? I like that. I could be down for that! I personally would prefer it stay unlocked so you can change it whenever, but if its cheap enough I wouldn't mind having to buy a new one if I want to perma change to a different variant.

As for breeding, I could see both sides. Either the hatchlings have the base look or they have the variant by default could be cool. But for the ease of breeding projects, I may prefer it just be the default? I would love the variants for uniqueness for each hatchling, but I think I may have to take the side of simplicity sake and say hatchlings don't have variants when hatched. Though I really don't mind either way, especially if its easy/cheap enough to change.

For searching on AH or dragon search, just add another little drop down to select for each variant. Simple.

But yeah. Tl;dr, I am 100% in support of variants! I think it would breathe new life into some older genes and make everyone happy for different colors/looks.

absolute support

After this whole Flair thing, support! I also remember Squiggle used to have a different accent colour on release (I think it was only on the Bane males), which I know some people were upset to see go. I think variants would be a fun way to add some spice to geneing/breeding, and allows people to get back/retain appearances they had before that were changed as "errors".

Seeing how close the poll results were, I definitely think this would go over well. I would love to see an option to have variants like obbie manes on other breeds, and I had actually liked a few of the fixed obbie manes too. Why can't we just have both options available, everyone wins.

Seems fairly simple, though there could be complexities when it comes to older existing versions of genes like Jupiter/Saturn having to be redrawn entirely for new breeds. But then again, it'd probably be worth it because then people would actually buy Jupiter/Saturn (haha). It'd still be a time sink (the consideration of what variants to actually make is also a factor) but not much of one art-wise compared to the potential benefits.

Personally, I don't know if a purchase should be involved in this since some of it would (might) be involved in restoring old versions of genes in an act of good will towards players for whom it doesn't necessarily feel the best to have to buy back the version they liked. Maybe if it's not too expensive?

Waiting for this to be implemented. Fingers crossed.