#you can criticise the design of a species btw I'm not saying you can't lol

[planefood]

something that drives me mental about the closed/open species debates I see floating around is the argument about unoriginality in closed species designs, but the incessant need to create your own oc of said species you just called unoriginal. I don't really care if someone makes an oc based off a closed species or "rip offs" I've heard them being called, I'm guilty of it. But to turn around and say that you're doing it because said closed species is unoriginal seems like you're lying to yourself.

The reason why a lot of popular closed species are fairly generic looking is because that's what has mass appeal. Closed species exist in a fandom space (furries) where a lot of people can only draw and design fairly generic dog/cat like creatures. So for a species to gain traction they have to be 1. appealing to that kind of audience (cute, fluffy, colourful etc) and 2. relatively easy to draw.

I see a lot of closed/open species being made by very talented designers who have the capability to create something really out there in terms of a species design, but also being talented designers know that they have a specific market they have to appeal to. But you also wouldn't be so drawn into making a character based off the species if it were that unoriginal and unappealing, it draws you in, it works. If you want to see originality and something really out there in a species design go into speculative bio spaces instead.