Thunderbirds The thunderbirds always appear as a duo, the female (the larger, colored brown) and the male (the smaller, colored blue). When a thunderbird is born, it spends the first week of life alone before learning to fly and find a mate. Once a mate has been located, the two birds never leave each other, so much so that the male typically rides on the back of the female unless it is attacked. This is partially for survival, as the male is weaker and easier prey than the female. What makes the thunderbirds different from average birds is their ability to build up and store electricity in pockets within their feathers. This lends them the unique ability to be able to release this energy as a defensive mechanism. This propensity for electricity comes at a cost, as when one bird dies, the other cannot effectively release its stored electricity and quickly overloads, being shocked to ash within a fraction of a second. All thunderbirds prefer it this way, as no thunderbird would wish to be parted from its mate. A popular myth has arisen around the deaths of thunderbirds. It is believed that upon their deaths, they live on as lightning bolts, one as the leading strike, the other as the return strike, never being parted for more than an instant. Preferred Environment: Because of their need to build static electricity, any dry or arid region or any place with frequent thunderstorms is an ideal environment. The main requirement is an area where they will be able to build up electricity quickly. They also prefer mountainous or wooded areas where it is possible for them to build nests out of the reach of predators. Size: The female stands roughly 1/2 meter tall, with a 1 meter wing span. The male is roughly 1/4 meter tall with a 1/2 meter wing span. Behavior: Docile until an enemy gets too close. Attacks: Lightning Arc - The birds split up and move to opposite sides of the target. The female charges electricity in its feathers and then fires an arc of lightning towards the male, hitting anyone between them. The birds will continue to move and keep the target between them until a moment before firing. After firing, the male returns and lands on the back of the female. Ball Lightning - The male leaves the back of the female and begins flying around her at high speed, charging both with electricity. When the charge is full, a ball of lightning is fired towards the target at moderate speed. Static Shield - When being struck in melee combat, the thunderbird may release its stored electricity in the form of an electric barrier, reducing incoming damage and damaging the attacker by a small amount. The thunderbird must lower the shield to charge for another attack. ___________________________ Thoughts about the thunderbird: From a development standpoint, I was thinking that the thunderbirds together would be considered one creature by the game, as they are never separate except when attacking. I also thought that perhaps the birds should share a health bar, since when one dies, the other dies as well. Influences for the thunderbird: I was thinking about what the devs said about Starbound being similar in some respects to Megaman and Castlevania. I know that the enemies who make you move around and avoid their attacks are more fun than the ones that you simply stand and shoot at. I also thought of the enemies near the end of Kingdom Hearts, the Invisibles. They had an attack which required you to dodge up or down to avoid the beam. Both of these went through a few iterations to end up as the thunderbirds. I'm happy with the results.
I think i will express a general opinion if i say: They suspiciously resemble Pokemons! Red panda is watching you!
They should! I modified a Pidgeotto for these sprites. I'm no pixel artist, so it was the only way I could capture the look I was going for. I think it turned out well. Kudos to Nintendo and Game Freak for such well-drawn and immediately identifiable characters. Edit: Missed the fact that modifying a picture is not allowed. Picture removed and another is on the way. Edit Edit: New picture in place. I like it better than the first.
Unfortunately you cannot do that. I would suggest you to take a piece of paper and sketch your own drawing, as using someone else picture, even if you modified it, can disqualify you from the contest.
Well drat. I must have missed that. Thanks for letting me know. I'll have to change it. Edit: Removed the picture. Now to break out the pencils... Edit Edit: New picture in place. I like it better than the first. Even considering my lack of artistic skills, I'm liking the sketch.
I'm liking it too, so much that I renounce my previous comment! Also, I would be willing to attempt some pixel art for you if you'd like?
