Posted: Fri Jan 13, 2006 2:11 am
Well, the answer to this question depends on a number of factors for me:
1. Am I changing into the actual animal, or a relatively human sized, gestaltish hybrid of it?
If I am changing into a hybrid form, that broadens the field considerably. I would never consider being, say, a wereshrew, if I became an actual shrew. But, if I became a humanoid, human-sized shrew, that's a lot more appealing. Still far from my favorite, but I wouldn't totally hate it.
2. In this hypothetical world, does anyone else have any transforming powers or am I the only one, or at least are we so rare that I won't be encountering any other shapeshifters in my life?
If I am the only shifter in the world (for the purpose of this hypothetical statement, ignore whoever bit me...let's just say he died), then I'm pretty much open to anything that isn't an extreme downgrade from human and that wouldn't leave me overly vulnerable. While I wouldn't relish the thought of being a werepig, if NOBODY ELSE CAN SHIFT, who cares? "Haha you turn into a werepig once a month" "Oh yeah?! Well you can't turn into ANYTHING!!". Essentially, I'm open to a lot more animals as long as I know that someone else isn't going to shift to some other form that is superior to mine.
3. Do I get to retain some level of control over the animal instincts when I shift?
If this is the case, then this also broadens the possibilities. If I don't have to worry about predatory instincts getting the better of me, or prey instincts forcing me to run away against my will, then I'm willing to be a lot more things. Of course, I would never want to lose the instincts, but I would rather have them be demoted to sort of an advisory board to my human mind.
/ \ I may or may not elaborate on these more later on.
|
Also, I might go through the trouble of making a detailed list later on. But, for now, I submit to you rough criterion that I would likely use in determining which animals I would want to be, and which animals I wouldn't want to be (assuming I am a gestaltish hybrid whose instincts don't force her to do things she wouldn't ordinarily do):
The pretty + dangerous test:
Category 1. Animals I would HATE to be:
-not pretty
-not dangerous
Category 2. Animals I might be ok with are EITHER:
-pretty
-or-
-dangerous, but not both
Category 3. Animals I'd LOVE to be are:
-pretty
-and-
-dangerous
Category 4. An animal I'd REALLY love to be is:
-pretty
-and-
-dangerous
-and could also kick the asses of everyone else's wereforms
(Note: I have no idea what animal would be in category 4. We can all speculate, but it'd be hard to really figure out since we don't know how successful a quadruped species would be using a bipedal stance)
This does not take into account certain exceptions. For example, an avian (though it isn't particularly dangerous) would be in the category 3. The overall coolness factor of being able to fly would outweigh the lack of dangerousness. Also, though a snake is both pretty and dangerous, I don't think I would want to be a snake because I enjoy hearing (otherwise, it would still be category 3). Also, though a hyena is dangerous and marginally pretty, I wouldn't put it in my category 3 because I'm not to keen on the idea of sprouting a pseudo-penis.
So, basically, the pretty + dangerous test works well when describing my preferences, except in cases where common sense would warrant an exception.
Note: this does not take into account mythicals. If mythicals are added to the mix, that adds a whole new element to everything. If that is the case, I'd probably want to be a weredragon, werephoenix, or maybe a weregryphon.
1. Am I changing into the actual animal, or a relatively human sized, gestaltish hybrid of it?
If I am changing into a hybrid form, that broadens the field considerably. I would never consider being, say, a wereshrew, if I became an actual shrew. But, if I became a humanoid, human-sized shrew, that's a lot more appealing. Still far from my favorite, but I wouldn't totally hate it.
2. In this hypothetical world, does anyone else have any transforming powers or am I the only one, or at least are we so rare that I won't be encountering any other shapeshifters in my life?
If I am the only shifter in the world (for the purpose of this hypothetical statement, ignore whoever bit me...let's just say he died), then I'm pretty much open to anything that isn't an extreme downgrade from human and that wouldn't leave me overly vulnerable. While I wouldn't relish the thought of being a werepig, if NOBODY ELSE CAN SHIFT, who cares? "Haha you turn into a werepig once a month" "Oh yeah?! Well you can't turn into ANYTHING!!". Essentially, I'm open to a lot more animals as long as I know that someone else isn't going to shift to some other form that is superior to mine.
3. Do I get to retain some level of control over the animal instincts when I shift?
If this is the case, then this also broadens the possibilities. If I don't have to worry about predatory instincts getting the better of me, or prey instincts forcing me to run away against my will, then I'm willing to be a lot more things. Of course, I would never want to lose the instincts, but I would rather have them be demoted to sort of an advisory board to my human mind.
/ \ I may or may not elaborate on these more later on.
|
Also, I might go through the trouble of making a detailed list later on. But, for now, I submit to you rough criterion that I would likely use in determining which animals I would want to be, and which animals I wouldn't want to be (assuming I am a gestaltish hybrid whose instincts don't force her to do things she wouldn't ordinarily do):
The pretty + dangerous test:
Category 1. Animals I would HATE to be:
-not pretty
-not dangerous
Category 2. Animals I might be ok with are EITHER:
-pretty
-or-
-dangerous, but not both
Category 3. Animals I'd LOVE to be are:
-pretty
-and-
-dangerous
Category 4. An animal I'd REALLY love to be is:
-pretty
-and-
-dangerous
-and could also kick the asses of everyone else's wereforms
(Note: I have no idea what animal would be in category 4. We can all speculate, but it'd be hard to really figure out since we don't know how successful a quadruped species would be using a bipedal stance)
This does not take into account certain exceptions. For example, an avian (though it isn't particularly dangerous) would be in the category 3. The overall coolness factor of being able to fly would outweigh the lack of dangerousness. Also, though a snake is both pretty and dangerous, I don't think I would want to be a snake because I enjoy hearing (otherwise, it would still be category 3). Also, though a hyena is dangerous and marginally pretty, I wouldn't put it in my category 3 because I'm not to keen on the idea of sprouting a pseudo-penis.
So, basically, the pretty + dangerous test works well when describing my preferences, except in cases where common sense would warrant an exception.
Note: this does not take into account mythicals. If mythicals are added to the mix, that adds a whole new element to everything. If that is the case, I'd probably want to be a weredragon, werephoenix, or maybe a weregryphon.
?
