Gryphon Ears: Yes or No?

Raltin

There's no doubt that ZOS' developers did AMAZING work on creating the gryphon and adding it to the game, taking the time to animate them beautifully and make them feel natural in the setting of the game. However, there's always been this ONE glaring issue with the animal... at least, as far as I'm concerned. I love the gryphon's model, really, I do... But I just CAN'T get over the ears... everything about the gryphon is amazing imo, EXCEPT the ears... they just look so... derpy xD

I mean, here you have an animal that is primarily feline (but also a little equine in shape with the length of the legs, and some of the musculature, almost) in skeletal structure and build, but its aethstetic is avian... all across its body, despite the feline like body shape, it is undeniably avian... feathers, scaled feet, talons, bird beak, on and on... The cat ears being present when the gryphon rocks such avian aesthetic on the entire rest of the body seems so out of place.

I think if it looked more... feathery, like the tail, it wouldn't be as much of an issue, but the ears just look TOO furry and feline, so much so that, unlike the tail that blends so well with the rest of the bird-like design, the ears clash so horribly against it.

I know this argument might fall on deaf ears, but it's a matter of opinion, and the whole player base is entitled to their own thoughts on the matter. As much as I might despise the ears as the only thing that 'ruins' the design for me, I know plenty of players who think the ears endearing. Others don't care. What about you?

Maelstroa

No, Don't like the ears

The only reason I voted "No" is because I feel like they could be refined better with plumage. There is so little on the gryphon to show the partly feline nature of a half-bird, half-lion creature that it really could use another look.
Not like a poll of public opinion will change a damn thing though.. Zo$ will just leave it as it is.

They "finished" the models and content. No reason to fix what looks bad or is broken so long as it is "finished"
Just like Vampire Ult Model and Skill Line..

Araneae6537

I generally like the gryphons as they are and must confess the ears never stood out to me one way or the other. I looked up some images just now and depending on angle, coloring, etc. sometimes they are cute but sometimes out of place, yes. As stated, adjustment of plumage might get them just right.

Hapexamendios

Should be an alchemy ingredient

Lugaldu

No, Don't like the ears

Personally, I don't like the ESO gryphons at all (especially the young ones). They look clumsy and unproportional to me. If one thinks of the gryphon as a mythological hybrid creature composed of a bird of prey and a big cat, which has existed in this form in the Near East and Eurasia since the 8th century BC, then I would also like to see here a more sleek, elegant body of a cat and not such an ungraceful, coarse, dog-like body. And yes, the ears look terribly inappropriate in that context, too. One would expect something slim, pointed. But that's my personal taste.

nukk3r

Yes! Love the ears!

Ahem... If we're going this way, I'd ask for a feline tail.

Fischblut

Meh, don't care...

I can't say that I absolutely love their ears, or that I don't like their ears... Ears are simply okay They give the gryphon his "alert" look.





Mighty look when he is attacking:



Close up of his head:

In GW2, most of Griffons have large pointed ears, which make them look like Dobermans... I love when Doberman has his pointy ears, so I naturally love it on Grifffons







Purrfect Griffon has unrivaled ears



In both games, I think Griffons look unique enough. In ESO, Gryphons look sleek and have rather fierce face. In GW2, Griffons mostly look puffy, fluffy and cute.
And in ESO, Gryphons walk like senche and have some senche animations when fighting... I'm still waiting for senche-based Gryphon mount here

Lady_Sleepless

I honestly never really looked at the ears before. I think the ESO Gryphons look fine. I like the design.

coop500

Yes! Love the ears!

Griffons without ears creep me out, so I am glad they have ears and they look fine.
Seriously, don't we have like.... dozens of other bigger things to bring up?

Hurbster

Fischblut wrote: »

I can't say that I absolutely love their ears, or that I don't like their ears... Ears are simply okay They give the gryphon his "alert" look.





Mighty look when he is attacking:



Close up of his head:

In GW2, most of Griffons have large pointed ears, which make them look like Dobermans... I love when Doberman has his pointy ears, so I naturally love it on Grifffons







Purrfect Griffon has unrivaled ears



In both games, I think Griffons look unique enough. In ESO, Gryphons look sleek and have rather fierce face. In GW2, Griffons mostly look puffy, fluffy and cute.
And in ESO, Gryphons walk like senche and have some senche animations when fighting... I'm still waiting for senche-based Gryphon mount here

I'm assuming the Gryphons ears are naturally pointy, unlike the Dobermann, whose ears have to be mutilated to look like that.

Lugaldu

No, Don't like the ears

Hurbster wrote: »

I'm assuming the Gryphons ears are naturally pointy, unlike the Dobermann, whose ears have to be mutilated to look like that.

No, apparently the ESO gryphon ears are also being mutilated - because if you look at the fledglings, they have much rounder ears!

Sylvermynx

Yes! Love the ears!

Lugaldu wrote: »

Hurbster wrote: »

I'm assuming the Gryphons ears are naturally pointy, unlike the Dobermann, whose ears have to be mutilated to look like that.

No, apparently the ESO gryphon ears are also being mutilated - because if you look at the fledglings, they have much rounder ears!

Eh, kittens have "rounder" ears, even when they're a breed that when adult will have very sharply pointed ears.

Lugaldu

No, Don't like the ears

Sylvermynx wrote: »

Eh, kittens have "rounder" ears, even when they're a breed that when adult will have very sharply pointed ears.

Hmm ... I don't know if that applies to the ESO gryphons as well. The ears look more like those from different animals to me, the fledglings ears from cats, the adults ears from some sort of... bat? We should ask the specialists on Summerset.

Sylvermynx

Yes! Love the ears!

Heh. Yeah. I'd love to ask questions of the NPCs sometimes - but that particular option hasn't been written into their packages....

Raltin

No, Don't like the ears

@Fischblut wrote: »

I can't say that I absolutely love their ears, or that I don't like their ears... Ears are simply okay They give the gryphon his "alert" look.





Mighty look when he is attacking:



Close up of his head:

In GW2, most of Griffons have large pointed ears, which make them look like Dobermans... I love when Doberman has his pointy ears, so I naturally love it on Grifffons







Purrfect Griffon has unrivaled ears



In both games, I think Griffons look unique enough. In ESO, Gryphons look sleek and have rather fierce face. In GW2, Griffons mostly look puffy, fluffy and cute.
And in ESO, Gryphons walk like senche and have some senche animations when fighting... I'm still waiting for senche-based Gryphon mount here

Okay, those owl griffons from GW2 look GREAT with those ears... because they have plumage and look like they fit. I just can't say the same of eso's gryphons and their ears from my perspective.

The more cat-like one though from GW2... that one's unsettling...