Those of you who've been watching me here on FA for a while have probably noticed something I decided to dabble in at one point: something I called "expansion packs".

An expansion pack, simply put, is a set of characters/concepts designed in mimicry of the style of a particular FurAffinity user. I design exactly the sort of things I think my target would design, using the exact same template they usually do, in such a way that my work would fit in with their work as naturally as possible. They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, after all, and if nothing else, I'm good at imitation!

I pulled the name "expansion pack" from video gaming, as I couldn't think of a better name on my own. Of course, all my expansion packs thus far are text-only, as I'm a rotten artist.

How popular are my expansion packs? Well... the first one (for Ephraim225) was a hit, but every expansion pack after that (two for Ephraim225, one for TheArmadilloFan) has gone completely unacknowledged by the subjects of my imitation. This, compared with my less-than-perfect performance on CalexTheNeko's whodunnit last year (and I was so confident!), has got me afflicted with a nasty case of the can't-do-anything-rights.

Which brings me to the topic of my discussion: Would you like to see more "expansion packs" from me? Do you have any opinions on the expansion packs I've done so far? Would it be a viable commission option?

(cross-posted from DeviantART, since it's just as applicable here)

I decided to lay bare which of the various "interests" that turn up on DA and FA (flattening, inflation, etc.) I'm interested in. I'm sure this information will be useful. To someone. Somehow.

General notes:
- I'm an over-thinker. I think things through; I don't buy "it's X, just go with it".
- I tend to take interest in the less popular aspects of the interest.
- I crave variety. Whatever varies the most within an interest, I like to see it vary.
- If it's NSFW for any reason, I'm not interested; I'm a little squeamish.
- Permanence is a huge turn-off for me. Death counts as permanence, unless it's undone in a timely manner.
- For best effect, the results of the interest should be useful somehow. (The meaning of this varies on a case-by-case basis.)

Here are the interests I know I've got, in no particular order:
Flattening -- I have no idea how I got my foothold in this one. Whether it's profile flattening or disk flattening doesn't matter to me. But flattening by itself is boring; I like the victim to be used for something afterwards. And if that "something" involves a pair of scissors and a sewing kit, I'll probably pay more attention.

Inflation -- If you've seen one character with an inflated belly, you've seen them all, but I've found interest in this nonetheless. My attention generally falls on more creative triggers for inflation; I designed the aptly-named inflator snake for this reason. I also tend to like it when the inflation has an explosive conclusion, provided of course that the victim is restored afterwards.

TF (transformation) -- Human-to-animal and human-to-anthro catch my eye, although I have written some animal-to-human transformations in the past, just to go against the norm. My favorites are when the victim is transformed unwillingly, but is still able to use the transformation to their advantage. I dislike transformations that brainwash the victim, as that often implies permanence.

Vore -- I'm somewhat picky about my vore. Filled stomach shots are of no value to me; I want to see the swallowing process itself. I prefer same-size vore, as macro/micro is too easy. I'm more interested in the raw concept than in all the disgusting details. And of course, I much prefer it when I can be sure the victim will see the outside world again. (My favorite is when the victim is quickly and painlessly digested, then returned to life somehow.)

Ball -- There are two flavors of this: when a character is forcefully squashed into a ball shape cartoon-style, and when a character can roll up into a ball voluntarily. I like them both. I do, however, prefer to see the artist put some thought into which body parts go where, as opposed to just slapping the character's face on an appropriately colored circle and calling it a day.

Head detachment -- I think I broke into this one more or less accidentally due to my creation of the Headsnatcher species. I like that foothold because it involves removing the heads of others, rather than one's own. It actually doesn't interest me all that much, but I like seeing how others do it. I generally lose interest when the headless body develops a mind of its own, or magically has perfect coordination despite being cut off from its balance centers and most of its senses.

This may not be a complete list, but most of the "interests" not on this list just don't interest me. If you have any individual questions, feel free to ask.

I used the word "interest" and tense variants thereof precisely 14 times in this journal. Make that 15. 16 if you count the title.

So I've done a pretty good job blending in with the FurAffinity community so far. I've got a significantly smaller audience so far here than on DeviantART, but at this point that's to be expected.

One thing I really ought to get is a appropriate sona. If I really want to mingle with the sub-communities I'm interested in, I'll need one.

But I've been having trouble designing one. All the appealing species have been used by others, and I don't want to feel like a copycat. But I also don't want to be super-outlandish just for the sake of being different. It's a difficult balance to strike, to be sure.

For a time I was designing a sphinx sona in my head. I had a lot made up: he was the sole resident of a sole pyramid in the middle of the desert. The pyramid housed his living quarters, a lounge area for visitors, and a huge labyrinth of traps and puzzles, one or another of which would inevitably flatten, liquefy, or otherwise humiliate any challenger. Although the decor was Egyptian-flavored, the pyramid had all the modern conveniences. I lost heart in the whole idea when I stumbled upon another FA user whose sona/shtick had an Egyptian motif, and I didn't feel so innovative anymore.

...Maybe the answer will come to me. Maybe not.