Having re-entered the avatar market again with new offerings, Wingless Emoto, as part of Chimera Industries produces a new take on the dragon species. Available in numerous different colours and patterns, this dragon is unique in that it merely isn’t covered in scales, but is mammalian, thus being covered in fur.

.

Out of the Box:

Male and Female Shapes (and eyes
HUD controls everything but recoloring and customization
- Everything else controlled by text commands
37 Eye Colors
Scripted recolor for the Horns, Ears, Nose, Teeth, Tongue, Claws, Pawpads, Wings, and Tail
Multiple ear, eyebrow, and jaw positions
Moving Jaw for voice and typing
Toggleable twitch, click response, and communication response for ears.
Toggleable tongue and blush.
4 “Silly” emote faces:
- Annoyed, perverted, happy, and shocked.
4 Particle effects (Foggy Breath, nostril smoke, etc.) and 3 Breath effects (Smoke, Fire, and Ice)
Flexible and Static Tails with multiple positions and wag
3 Wing Styles
8 Horn Styles
Digitigrade and plantigrade legs and feet
19 hairstyles
Detailed guide for modifying your avatars.
Free updates!

Starting with this review, we will include some Average measurements.

Measurement	Value
Script Time with HUD	~0.05-0.06
Script Time without HUD	~0.04-0.05
Avatar Rendering Cost	~850+

Build and Skin:

The Mammalian Dragon comes in a variety of different colours and patternings, with the user being able to buy light, medium, or dark toned skins, as well as unique “Special” versions that have a slightly different texture design. The skins are covered with various colours, patterns and details that make an aesthetically pleasing skin design. Outside of the work that went into the markings and colour transitions, the avatar doesn’t have a large degree of body shading or definition to highlight musculature and all that. For all versions of the avatar, (with the exception of some of the the “Special” versions), there is a series of horizontal stripes that run from the tip of the tail up to the back, giving the species a distinctive marking of its own.

The same level of texturing is featured over the entire avatar, with the well-planned colour schemes embodying both the shape and the attachments themselves. This avatar offers the fairly standard fare of attachments, but also offers a number additional, optional attachments (i.e. alternative legs/feet, wings, hairstyles, and horns), so we will attempt to be brief but encompassing. Most of the customisation options will be covered in the “Features” subheading.

As usual, we will start with the feet and move towards the head. By default, users wear the plantigrade leg and foot attachments, though they could opt to look in the ‘Extras’ folder to find digitigrade copies. Both choices feature well made foot-paws and a degree of ‘fluff’ prims. The digitigrade leg attachments may not be as well made as the plantigrade ones, but the way how the fluff has been used to accent the digitigrade attachments is a creative touch. I should note the dew-claw placed on the digitigrade legs themselves. The hand-paws are similar to the feet, but look more like hands rather than generic paws. Arm-attachments also feature some fluff prims for affect.

The tail is the next attachment to come with multiple options; the creators have included a default flexible tail, as well a secondary tail with a little more ‘fluff’ at the base, and finally a sculpted, ‘static’ tail with no flexi-prims. Each are well made, the tail striped from base to tip and featuring a tasselled end. While the flexi tails are well done, the sculpted, non-flexible one has an appeal that I have appreciated.

Next are the wings. These are not located in the default avatar folder, but instead have been located in the ‘Extras’ folder. Three different variations of wings come with the avatar; feathery, bat-like, and web-spine. They can be enabled to open during flight, but there are no flapping animations of any kind. (Edit: There are flying animations that are included inside the accompanying Animation Overrider (AO) found in the ‘Extras’ folder. Info on AO is under the next sub-heading). Given that the avatar comes with so many different other features and add-ons, this isn’t a huge point. However, with the avatar I did have, there was an issue where the wings would not open and close for flight unless the accompanying HUD for the avatar was attached.

Finally, we reach the key part of this avatar; the head. The head is the most out-of-the-box customisable part of the body, with multiple horns, facial expressions, breaths, etc. Starting from a structural viewpoint, the avatar has an articulated and separate jaw attachment which allows for movement of the muzzle while the user speaks. The muzzle is unique in shape, neither expressively reptilian or mammalian in structure. The plate on the muzzle is hideable as well. The mouth contains a full compliment of teeth and a tongue.

The eyes come with no lack of options in colour, style, and expression, with the HUD and accompanying commands making it easy to modify the avatar. Some peers have commented that they felt the eyes made the avatar look cross-eyed, but I remain unsure as to whether this is a problem at all. Framed by fluff on the cheeks, the head is rounded out by twitchy, tufted ears and an array of horns that the user can choose from.

Finally, it need be remembered how the, with their previous avatars (paid and freebie), the creator always included a selection of hairs. With this avatar, the creator has kept with that tradition, but also upped the ante with even more choices than before; including some selections with facial hair. The picture above is the Fu Manchu Moustache and mane. A copy of the jaw with a goatee is included also in the Extras folder.

Heads up Display (HUD) and Features

The HUD stands as the main control center for the most commonly used features of the avatar. Alongside the regular functions for the modification of eye and eyebrow state, ear state, tail state, etc. users can choose to toggle little extras like if they wish to have a tail positioned slightly to the left or the right. There are variety of fun particle affects that emit good quality fire, ice, smoke, drool, or even blood. While the blushing feature may not be perfect, the anime-inspired red haze over the muzzle has a cute effect.

To avoid an overload of options, however, Chimera Industries has taken the incentive to put the less commonly accessed features under text commands on different channels. Accompanying the picture of the two panels of the HUD are text commands in a list below. Chimera Industries has included some redundant commands for the options available through the HUD so that people can make their own customised gestures if they want.

Additionally, this avatar comes with an Animation Overrider. Upon activating it, users can see flying, walking/running, sitting, and swimming animations as well as ‘stand’ poses. These are all copiable, and the HUD is the popular and flexible ZHAO II HUD. Thus, users can add and extract animations and customise the Animation Overrider.

Text Commands:

eyes (colour and style)
noseplate (toggle visible/invisible)
pawpads (colour)
claws (colour)
horns (multiple types and colours)
tail fluff (colour)
teeth (colour)
tongue (normal or forked, and colour)
wings (colour)
talking muzzle (toggle on/off)
animation (toggle on/off)
typing override (toggle on/off)

The accompanying pictures show off some of the avatar’s abilities. In our attempt to remain brief, we focus on a defining part of the avatar; its four “Silly” emote faces. These bring a dimension of cartoony expressiveness to the avatar that incite giggles and laughs.

Customisation

This avatar is very customiseable, even moreso that Wingless Emoto has written a detailed manual on how to modify the avatar, which includes pictures. Everything on this avatar is mod-copy, save for the scripts.

Normal clothing will fit easily on this avatar, however, the fluff around the plantigrade feet may stick through the pants/trousers clothing layer. This can be remedied by using the extra ‘digitigrade’ foot attachments instead, or by removing the foot fluff itself.

Conclusion

This avatar is very well rounded and fun to wear. Not only is it a unique creature, but the included options make it easy for the users to create a unique look out of the various hairs, colours, and facial modifiers. Good character and personality placed in an avatar makes any avatar worth the while to wear, even moreso when the avatar has a lot of modification potential. The Mammalian Dragon is a very well-rounded creation that brings the sense of ‘lulzy’ fun into the avatar market.