RE: Animal Shape-Shifting Idea

[Nyan Cat]

(Reposting due to technical issues with the original thread)

Alright. So I was at my final exam today (no more high school~ Hooraaaah~) and on my way home I thought of all this.



I imagined people who could shape into animals based on their heritage. I.e., African people could only shape into animals from their region in Africa, the Japanese only into animals from Japan, etc. Not everyone in the world is able to, but some people are, for whatever reason. Because of fear, a global law is passed to capture these people and place them in an artifical environment for research, though possibly due to government conspiracy or something, they've set it up so it would be possible for the characters to kill each other with no reprocussions. Basically, trying to recreate nature and observe what they do.



This shape-shifting is less like transforming into the creature and more like just switching into the body of one, only the body is in a parallel dimension. Or something. I'm using psuedo-science here. xDD



But because of the way the human brain is wired, these people can only shift into one animal, which needs to be a close enough analogue to human. This means the creature should be a land-bound mammal, as well as either a carnivore or an omnivore. The exception would be animals like the whale or dolphin, but there will be no oceans here, so they're excluded still.



These animals must be regular animals with just human essence. This would mean no colours, markings, or any other such things impossible in nature. Though conditions that would allow for irregular colours are allowed, i.e., albinism or melanism (black panthers are an example of this), without the character having these traits themselves. Hybrids would also be allowed, but only ones that have either been documented or are deemed scientificly. Genetic splices are exempt from this; they need to be able to be produced naturally. Ligers, thus, would be allowed.



Now, obviously we wouldn't want lots of hybrid characters running about, or even duplicate regulars. So only one character per animal. In this case, sub-species would count as all one species. This way we wouldn't have timber wolves and arctic wolves and gray wolves all running around. There are plenty more interesting canine species, anyways. :3



While in animal forms, characters may communicate through psychic brain waves or something. These waves radiate out, and can be heard by anyone within range, though the range can be reduces or increased to a certain extent, like shouting or whispering. Not sure if emotion would be conveyed through this 'voice' or only through body language.



Obviously this would all be subject to change. Not sure if I'd restrict it to intermediate players or open it up to beginners as well.



Of course, I just want to see if there's actually anyone interested.
Regardless, if this went on to become something in actual, I would likely stake interest in playing characters who are a leopon (the result of a male leopard and a female lion) and a hyena.



That is, if anybody stick through that giant wall of text.

[Aerion]

*reposts*
So no glow in the dark house cats?

http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-9833107-1.html
Lol jk. I like the concept, though. Let's see, question time:
what about extinct animals? Many countries /used/ to have X animal but it no longer exists there.

Are there any size restrictions? Lions and leopards and the like are decently similar to humans in size, where as things like polar bears and lemurs really are not.

You said carnivores, may I ask why no herbivores? Technically humans are omnivores so why allow the stray in one direction and not the other?

Will the humans display physical characteristics of the animal who's form they take on? I.E. hair color, eye color shape face, or will they share no similarities?

If the government knows about these people, is it general knowledge for all people? Will there be groups similar to PETA on the side of these creatures?

Will there be any guidelines to the pace of the RP? One that I was in simply moved too quickly for my schedule while another more or less stalled out while I politely await the return of a player who said they are still interested in play.

Any how, interested in case you hadn't picked that up ;p

---------- Post added at 04:36 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:33 PM ----------

and random side note, but red wolves have technically been found to be more of a coyote/wolf hybrid than true wolves, so would kind of be separate, right? Turns out wolves and coyotes have been doin it in nature for so long that we didn't even recognize the hybrid until genetics got involved.

---------- Post added at 09:53 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:50 PM ----------

oh oh oh and if you get into extinct animals what about LONG extinct animals such as the misnamed saber toothed tiger or the dire wolf?

---------- Post added at 10:06 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:53 PM ----------

did I kill the reply function for a second time ??