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[Manveru Taurënér]

On second thought, regarding the death sprites, maybe the blood is a bit overkill? It would be a bit weird for when you have an animal die from age or other not so violent causes to seemingly turn into a bloodbath, and if it was a violent death there'd probably be blood on the tile anyway?

The touched up tail-fan eyes ala Magistrum looks slightly better imo, so yeah, more than one pixel for those in some way would probably help.

[Cruxador]

Seriously though that peacock needs another pass in order to look like a peacock.

I'd say at most a pixel or two nip'n'tuck to the head and upper neck.

Spoiler: First picture found that has much the same pose (click to show/hide)

The 'erectness' of the tail-fan is also slightly different, but that is probably a function of the bird's current dedication to the display. Otherwise I say it's undeniably a peacock, within the general caricaturing scheme, and nothing else. (Peahens/chicks will be much harder to differentiate with their counterpart fowls.)

The only way to call it a peacock is in the very broad sense that there aren't any birds that look closer to it. Like how a kid's poorly made clay sculpture of a four legged animal tends to parse as a dog. But the posture isn't one you'll normally see, even if you've managed to find a photograph that looks that way.

I think it is important to keep the open tail posture, since it is the most iconic thing about the creature, what do you think?

I mean, no, but then I do see them more often than most people probably. The presentation of the tail is definitely over-represented on Google images, which is the closest proxy for general perception that came to mind, although even then it's mostly in a head-on angle. I don't think that means it definitely needs to look that way in DF though, especially if it doesn't look good. This seems to veer uncomfortably close to "other people did it wrong so we will too" way of thinking. It's an option, sure, but it's definitely weird to have peacocks walking around with their tails up. And it's not related to not doing the anatomy or colors thoroughly.

[Starver]

The only way to call it a peacock is in the very broad sense that there aren't any birds that look closer to it.

There are also effectively no birds to which it looks closer. If you want to differentiate a peacock from anything else then the colour (the famous Indian variety mostly, the Green variety not so much), the eye-fan and the hovering-crest are pretty much the key markers. I don't know if you think the fan looks more like a turkey's (noting that a turkey is there, as well, for comparison, and obviously not a retouched version but a fresh depiction) or if, like me, you think the neck and head could be marginally less duck/goose-like (although, comparing to the others, again it's not the same), but I don't consider minor details of that kind disqualification from it clearly being an iconic¹ representation of an iconic² bird.

(¹ Small bitmap,  ² Notably singular)

Refine the head and neck a bit, as I suggested (I was going to call for it to be more 'aquiline', but that's etymologically a minefield, and I don't mean make it more like an eagle) and perhaps send the raised tail back a little bit (in both position and angle), and I like the accentuation of the 'eyes' idea. It's also possible that a non-displaying peacock shape could be used, given that they don't permanently strut around like that, with instead the long train of feathers streamed behind it, but that sacrifices a key caricature aspect to what are supposed to be easier things to differentiate than the ASCII rasters.

So I respectfully disagree.

even if you've managed to find a photograph that looks that way.

That was for direct comparison. As you point out there are a lot of pictures, disproportionate to reality, of their display posture, I wanted a part-angle on the head and neck to match the Meph version and that was maybe a dozen or so pictures along in the search results, as opposed to the overwhelming head-on (or tail-on) set that didn't help so much. The raised fan was incidental, whatever differences it also may have presented to a critical eye.

[Magistrum]

This seems to veer uncomfortably close to "other people did it wrong so we will too" way of thinking. It's an option, sure, but it's definitely weird to have peacocks walking around with their tails up.

That is the cruxador  of the question tough, right? If we make it a more precise representation of a peacock, we make it remind less of a peacock. Is it more important for it to be more realistic, or for it to be a better representation for the player? Both are possible, since even if it doesn't exactly looks very "peacockish", if it is distinct from other sprites enough the player will look and see the name anyway.

[Meph]

Considering that the peacock has the same height as a horse, I'd say that an open or closed tail is the least of our problems concerning realism.

[Superdorf]

Re: bloody corpses... is it possible to have separate sprites for "mangled" or "mutilated" corpses? That would clear things up a bit.

Failing that, bloodless is probably best. Like Manveru said, a violently killed creature is liable to have some blood surrounding it anyway, and a peaceful death would look weird with the body bleeding all over the floor.

Of course, given the way DF handles such things...

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

...maybe death by old age isn't so peaceful after all.

[CL3AR]

I think I like Mayday's version of ramps more than Meph. It's much easier to read at a glance due to how defined it is. The gradients in Meph's version makes it seem like differently colored grass as opposed to ramps. Either way you guys go with this, I'm super excited for the Steam release.

[Meph]

The most iconic RPG enemy. ^^

[Putnam]

GOOD slimes will be important for my opening salvo of steam workshop mods (which has AT LEAST ONE curse of Turned Into Slime)

[Meph]

Have at it, then. (That one is a floating guts. Amoeba with clear skin and visible organs)

Edit: And a flesh ball, liked for their calming roundness:


Edit2: Bugbats!


Edit3: Elkbird.


I kinda want to make their antlers even larger:


Edit4: Everyone knows what that is. ^^

[scourge728]

I always assumed plump helmet men were entirely purple.... although they might very well not be since I never actually checked that in the raws heh

[Meph]

According to the raws, they are entirely purple. But if you look at RL mushrooms, the cap usually has a color, while the stem is pale/milky white.

Edit: Cave floater?

[Cruxador]

I always assumed plump helmet men were entirely purple.... although they might very well not be since I never actually checked that in the raws heh

You're right, that definitely needs fixing. Probably still not as bad as changing the floating guts into a pile of guts though.

[Superdorf]

D'aww, these are adorable! But where's the elkbird's wings?

[Manveru Taurënér]

According to the raws, they are entirely purple. But if you look at RL mushrooms, the cap usually has a color, while the stem is pale/milky white.

Varies wildly depending on the species. I'd suggest at least having a purplish tint to the body if one wants the cap more discernible (which isn't uncommon in irl mushrooms either).