...yet.

I did say they will be open for the public once Volatikai as a whole are open again, but I FIRST need to actually add them to the guide. I don't want people to start trying to color them with fish colors or other vibrant colors, as a few people have said that's what they wanted to do. Their colors are with the browns and warm colors over all. I just need to show it! Same with showing eye color and other traits I need to figure out.

I hope to have this stuff figured out by the time Volatikai as a whole open up again... but it all depends on how homework goes as well as these last few commissions still.

For a while I've had the idea of having an Aquatic type, though they aren't EXACTLY aquatic. Today I thought some more about them and want to soon design a character for it.
I already know I wanna name the character Gyro (pronounced Yeeros) just because people say the food wrong a lot. LOL

Anyways, some thoughts on them:
-they'll have smaller wings so they won't be able to fly
-they'll have mostly earthy colors
-their fur is like an otter's
-they don't live IN water but they live around it (so they still can't breathe under water, but may hold their breath longer than normal)
-their ears will have points to them, somewhat looking like fins but are not fins
-they may or may not have an extra appendage. Still thinking about it

You guys may make suggestions as well. I may or may not use the ideas.

And yes, this type will be available for people to make their own when Volatikai are open again (in which is in about a month!)

Edit: some more things that will be for them:
-wings DO help them with swimming, but they are still wings! Not fins!
-they will have thicker tails, but will be longer than western and desert tails
-they'll have some kind of webbing between their fingers and toes
-they'll generally be skinnier in body size

I have decided that it's up to you if you want the underside of the tail to be a darker color (or maybe even lighter) or if it's the same color as the rest of their tail. I don't mind either way, so there won't be specifics to any of the types.

It's not really an update actually... but something I haven't clearly shown for each tail type. Pretty much showing the underside of the tail. It's flat and there is a sliiight change: they'll have ridges under the tail, like how a spider monkey has it. That way for most of the tails it's easier to pick stuff up.

The picture that shows it the easiest is this one: http://shorty-antics-27.deviantart......ight-541138362 you can see the flat side of his tail.

I also show it here: http://shorty-antics-27.deviantart......osed-529300840
Even on the really fluffy tails the have this. I'll be showing it!
I'm also trying to show the amount of movement western and desert tails can do, which isn't much at all. Some people have made them very bendy, but these two are just rather stiff.

YEAAAAH.

I will not accept any new designs at this time, nor will I look at any new ones.

Their opening times are this:
October 27th - November 2nd
April 27th - May 2nd

No, you do not need to design them as pups on these opening days. The breeding times are just to make it more connected to the species.

Feel free to design new Volatikai outside of these times but you can NOT post them! You have to wait!

I won't be able to look at redesigned Volatikai either.

I can answer general questions, however.

Also, yes new people can get a number still. Just do not show me new Volatikai!

The site has been updated to reflect the closing.

By tomorrow my species will be closed until the end of October for a few days.

I will be, hopefully, updating the info needed for that on the site by tomorrow as well as on dA and FA.

Again I won't be looking at notes specifically for accepting Volatikai until tomorrow, so you have today to send more notes of Volatikai to accept/check.

This is just a reminder before they close! I just went through and responded to a bunch of people piling up about their new Volatikai. I think I won't respond to people about new Volatikai now until they close. Just know you're not late if you send a note before the due date! I'll TRY to answer questions before they close, but your best bet is to just draw them out first to show! Me asking for changes won't make them suddenly not allowed if you take longer than the due date so don't worry about that~ I just won't be able to see any NEW Volatikai after the due date.

My friend can't understand why someone would want a character from a species they don't own, so I'd like to hear your guy's thoughts about this.

For those who have bought one or plan on buying one: why did/do you?

I am finally updating Kevin: http://d.facdn.net/art/volatikai/14.....1394153114.png and a friend will be buying him from me...
But since I am updating him, I want to make this very clear!

No more circles on wings that look "perfect"! I created Kevin back when I first figured out the name for my species. I dunno why I put the circles on his wings... That can't happen!
I know a few people were basing their Volatikai off of Kevin's design, and I also had said they usually have "eye spots"... that is changed. They can still have eye spots, but not the silly circles. xD They have to look organic!

If you look at butterflies they are not perfect:
http://academic.reed.edu/biology/co.....s/eyespots.jpg
http://www.intropsych.com/ch08_anim.....08hawkmoth.jpg
http://www.butterflyutopia.com/BIG/094.jpg
http://image.shutterstock.com/display_pic_with_logo/100587/100587,1207660323,3/stock-photo-automeris-moth-from-ecuador-showing-eyespots-11280559.jpg

So if you're trying for eye spots, just make them slightly off. Best is if the edges are slightly broken up, like how a painted bat's wings look: http://media.mnn.com/assets/images/.....t_orange_0.jpg

I just hate the "perfect" looks with designs on my species. xD;; It doesn't work for them. ahaa;;

Also I have updated Kevin's main color because he currently is too blue for my species. He's more grey now. aha.

Were stuff:
I've started to see this happen so I want to make it clear: were forms have the body of a bipedal creature. They are not four legged even if they tend to be on all fours a lot. Thus, please avoid drawing them with a chest like an animal that walks on all fours.
Of course, because of it they aren't as fast as a four legged creature when it comes to running, but it's better with hunting.

Also as a heads up, I may change a few anatomy things about their heads, because some people are still getting confused and think they have a head of a wolf.
And also remember that the normal form and the were form are pretty much two characters in one! They have their own likes and dislikes and even sexuality. Of course things can line up as the same but it's usually not.


Pet Trade:
I am slowly figuring out a section for their world where there is a kind of black market/pet trade for captive Volatikai. My character, Flint, was born in one of these things so I plan to do an image to better explain it later. I'm just making this clear because I know a lot of you like to stay as close to canon as possible, and this might be an option for where your Volatikai grew up in.

A note: It's hard for me to see my species as slaves (even though I'm sure it can happen). I just see them more as pets for some humans. Thus, way more common for them to be seen as pets than some kind of slave.

He WAS $75 but he's now $50. He won't go any lower than that.

He's here: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/17031910/

I will also be updating Kevin to have correct colors and markings on him, in which he's still up for sale: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/16575616/

Once my species closes on the 20th of this month I'll have to go into the fan page and make extra pages for each 100 new people. x-x Right now I can't edit the page at ALL on my mac because it takes several minutes for it to stop lagging; Dang weebly. xD;; So that's part of the reason why I have been slow with updating people's numbers and things. I have to wait to be on my desktop to do anything. At least it barely lags on here. xD That means I'll have to move 71+ people to a new page. That will take some time. x__X

So I'm sorry again for how slow I have been! D:' Just know that as long as you have a note sent with your new Volatikai, even if the date passes I'll still be accepting them. I just won't be able to let people send any new Volatikai for me to look at after the 20th until they open again.

There are also some mini tuts I wanna do for my species but again barely any time. xc BAH. I wish I somehow won a million dollars or something. xD Then I could work on them all of the time. BAH. >C

I have a little collection of messages and notes piling up but I will get to them soon;; Maybe tomorrow I can.

And then future ones may do the same thing. This month is going to be stressful for me. xD;;

I have fallen in love with the breeding season idea as I feel it makes it more interesting for the community, AND that after this month is up I'll be able to get breaks from accepting Volatikai, so that's a further reason why I must do this!

SO, this is how it will work:

August 20th is the close-off point for new/free Volatikai made by you guys. (at first)
Then during both breeding seasons there will be a few days open where people can post their new Volatikai again to be accepted, then it becomes closed again.

Those days are:

October 28th - November 3rd
April 28th - May 3rd

Those are the dates where most Volatikai are making new babies/giving birth, so that would be PERFECT for new Volatikai to be accepted.
On closed days I can still answer questions, but I won't want to actually see any new Volatikai. :c I'm sorry. I want to be on break from needing to look over so many. xD;;

BUT SOMETHING TO CONSIDER:
If you're wanting your Volatikai to have babies, you could go through real time with how long they are pregnant for. Then when the opening happens, they give birth!
I plan to do exactly that.
I will be slowly designing a new character, and his/her mother will be pregnant this October, then after 6 months I will reveal the new character~

In the next few days I'll slowly work on updating info for owning Volatikai and whatnot and try to make my rules more clear.

It's decided.

I want to better protect them as well as to be able to make money off of them. I had a silly thought that making them open would still get people to want to buy ones that I design myself since I am the creator, but that has not been a reality. Sure, people say they'd like to buy one from me or get a custom, but it hasn't really happened. Then when I thought I could get a little support for them on Patreon because it would help everyone out, I was severely disappointed that not one person was able to help.

Further, since so much info isn't even done with them yet, it almost feels like it was a bad idea to open them up to the public so soon anyways. So many people have asked me when I'd update info for them, but I just can't do that when I need to keep taking commissions to pay my bills.

There are smaller reasons as well, but the tipping point was a few people in stream urging me to make them a closed species. It really helped me think it over, and yes, it would be best if I had them as a closed species.

Maybe one day in the future I can have them as an open species again, but with the reasons above I will have to close them in a month. I wanted to be fair, so that's why I am not closing them today.
If you already have one you can still keep them. That's not changing.
If you have a number but don't make one by the time I close them you'll then have to pay for one.

I don't know if I'll do "MYO" things where people have to pay in order to draw their own, as I find that silly... but I might have a few times a year I will have spaces open for people to make them for free for those who can't afford to buy them.

Right now my same rules and steps apply with making your own Volatikai, so please follow them! Then once August 20th gets here the rules will change.

In the mean time I will think about new prices for ones I sell especially customs. I don't want to make them as expensive as I have because I want people to be able to buy them.


I will make more reminders as time goes on just in case some people miss this.

I am sorry I will have to close them but it will be best for me. I want to be able to continue to make them and update them for everyone to enjoy them.



Any rude comments about my decision (especially sarcastic ones) will be hidden.

Several people have been talking to me saying I should have my species closed, and they brought up some good reasons why...
I worry my species will be heavily abused, and I haven't even completed writing all about them yet... and I am not making much money or getting help for them... I liked the idea with keeping them open because those who couldn't buy one can make one on their own... but I feel like that has now possibly gone too far.
I know in time I'll have to go somewhere to legally get documents for my species so I am more protected, but right now this is very hard...

I want to hear your guy's thoughts, though. If I did do it, no one would have to give their already made Volatikai up, and I'd have a deadline in place for anyone who has been wanting to make one... but after that they'd be closed.

I feel torn both ways...

This is hard... :c

This is a new thing, but something I found out about bats' wings.
I already knew their membranes can heal very well and rather quickly, but I didn't realize just how much they can heal! It seems as if the entire membrane can heal itself even if a huge chunk is ripped off.

Look at this: http://bio.biologists.org/content/e.....4/F1.large.jpg

So it can take a while still, but they do eventually heal over! It can even heal over bone that was taken off: https://scontent-ord1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xat1/v/t1.0-9/11666146_670676216399285_7641973607235241741_n.jpg?oh=4d8f755342e3113d7bb73b97cdb31778&oe=56133187

SO, I am doing that for my Volatikai as well since they have the same wings pretty much. Scars would look lighter in color, like shown in the pictures.

I still have to make a thing about membrane rings, which is what Arctic's use to make a hole in their wings so they can wear better fitting pants, but that will take a while to get to. sdhjfksjdhfkj

I'm actually pretty surprised not one person wanted to support me for my species on Patreon, when a bunch of people before had been wanting to know when I'd be updating info.

Without support it will be VERY slow. If future people ask me when I'll update again, I'll just simply tell them about this.

I'm shrugging about this. I simply just have to keep trying to do a bunch of commissions. I don't think I'll be selling Volatikai for a while, either, since the last two still haven't been sold.

http://www.furaffinity.net/view/16575616/

I edited the info. I said it would cost extra to have some things changed on him, but I now have it where if you buy him I'll do the changes for free (at least what I have planned). Otherwise other large changes I won't be able to do for free.

Please comment on the picture if you're wanting him!

Right now I am working on my Patreon page for this species, and right now the typical rewards people do I can't do.

BUT I do wanna find out how to thank those who may help me with this!

So far I can only think of personalized thank you cards...

I want to avoid anything that deals with now needing to draw full pictures for people since this is supposed to be about helping me finish this species, which is in turn a reward for everyone.

But maybe there are other things I can do? I dunno what could be monthly...

I know if I am funded enough to make a book for my species, then there will be actual rewards for sure (like free books or signed copies or something else...)

I like hearing ideas. xD

(I already can't give streams or wips as rewards because I already do that and I don't want to stop that. aha;; )

I have come to the decision that there just can't be any detailed markings on Volatikai even as spraypaint. Tattoos are already a nono on fur since that's not possible to be done.

But then the question comes to tattoos on skin...
My problem with that is to those who don't know, they look like actual markings unless it's a clear tattoo (like having a name or words)... but even then I hesitate.
I just really, really don't want them suddenly looking like what you can do on other species and that this is somehow a way around it.
So I'd like your guy's thoughts.

I have 3 slots open for Volatikai chibis if you'd like one.

They'd look like this: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/15909794/ (so yes, they'd be shaded)

I will accept were forms as well.

If you want one, fill out this simple form in the comments (and I may consider more):

Reference(s):
Anything you'd like them to do?: (either explain or say it's up to me)
Simple personality description:
Want to see progress images:?

Many of you wish I updated my site more frequently as well as stuff about my species in general (since right now it's very slow)... so all I can think of is possibly starting up a Patreon just for my species so I can have more time to work on them. :c If I could make that my job, so much info would be finished as well as other info fixed, and maybe I could make a species info book about them!

I just dunno how well a Patreon would do;;

It would not be a paywall, either, as in I will not have exclusive content on Patreon. It would be purely be funding me to work more on my species a lot more than I have had planned!

I'd just have to think about my goals for money... because I don't wanna depend on a LOT just from "donations".

Then, if it were to work out well and I finished about everything I could for Volatikai, I could change the patreon to help me be able to work on my own story so it could be a comic one day. Plans!

But yeah, still need to think a lot about this...

Yep. Though because of it I'm designing YET ANOTHER CHARACTER. I THOUGHT I WAS DONE BUT NOPE.

However, this type won't be open to the public, I'm sorry. It's going to be a very rare type. I may call it an "Old World Volatikai" so there may be some things different about this type that aren't normal for Volatikai... one of them being is they'll be limited on fur. Their ear shape may be very different as well. The rest I'm still figuring out.

I may not even add this type to the list on my site because they are so rare. I still have to think about that. xD

In the far future I may make another Volatikai type, possibly "new world", where it WILL be open for people to make... but right now I just wanna work on this new type. xD

For this type I'm making, I feel like I may only make one adoptable of this kind at some point. Who knows.

There have been several Tropical Volatikai made that have clashing colors that honestly wouldn't be on a Volatikai. It has been frustrating me for a while because I honestly don't know how to go about it completely, but I think I have one or two thoughts.

My first thought is that they must have at least some earthy, "natural" colors.

Another thought is that they need a mix of dark and lighter colors and that saturations can not overtake the colors on the character (meaning it shouldn't be more than 50% of the color).

I know many people, including me, have color troubles... but it's a little too much when a Volatikai is just full of saturated colors.
I know some birds have lots of bright colors, but since they are not birds I think I do have to restrict it some. There can still be markings like that of birds and insects, but saturated colors really shouldn't overtake the character. I feel like if I were to draw some of the characters, I'd have to change some colors by so much that it may not look like them, because I refuse to draw/color volatikai non-cannonly.

BUT I want your thoughts on this problem. Right now I can't leave it as is.

Should I give critiques on color and patterns?

Color in general with my Volatikai I've become relaxed with (like not staying exact to the color codes on my site. I need to update it!) but just some Tropical types have been out of hand. :c'