Some notes on anthros · 5:02am Jun 23rd, 2014
Admittedly I've been thinking about this post since chapter 1, but decided to hold off on it since I didn't know when it would be a good time to post it... now seems as good a time as any, since this is probably the only "writing" I'll be doing today (I tend to be too worn out after work to write anything, thankfully I only work on weekends)
A while back someone asked what "type" of anthro melody was, if anyone reading this is not familiar the different types, please see this picture:
Originally I labeled her a type 4, since that at first seemed the closest to my idea. However, as I looked through the different graphs showing each of the mane 6 as the different types, I've realized that's not actually accurate, as anthros in my story in some ways are more like type 3, such as a muzzle, more noticeable tail, and definite hooves (some pics show type 3 with normal feet), but at the same time they also have primarily human style bodies and no missing fingers (for some reason that design choice always bugs me). So, instead of just simply labeling them to a certain type, I thought I'd go ahead and give what details I can on anthros as a whole.
Height- males/stallions (the common term changes depending on where they grew up) generally reach about 5'6" on average, though some have been known to hit as tall as 6", females/mares on the other hand general only get as high as 5" on average, with 5'6"-5'8" being their max. Melody is therefore actually a bit smaller than the average, being a mere 4'10"
weight-The average male/stallions hit about 110-150 lbs. depending on their pony tribe (earth being heavier, pegais and thestral being lighter, unicorns are in the middle), and females/mares average within 95-135 lbs. Melody is 100 lbs., as thestrals tend to weigh just a bit more than, pegasi.
Physical notes- as mentioned above, anthros have a primarily human structure, with upper bodies most likely resembling something lime this:
<note that they have "normal" hands... yeah, this really is a big pet peeve for me when I'm looking for decent anthro art>
At this point I would also like to note something- similar to the ponies in the story "Xenophilia" (can't link due to it being NSFW, though pretty sure it's popular enough that at least most people have heard of it), they aren't entirely like their show counterparts, the main difference being that their heads are better proportioned to the rest of their body. Likewise, Anthro heads are basically the same size of a human of s similar build, save for the eyes which, like with ponies, are larger and more prominent than human eyes (not too big, probably about 1.5 times the size humans eyes, ponies still have freaking huge eyes though).
Lower body- this is where I tend to get a bit frustrated. The main problem I find with looking for good anthro art is is how the artist draws the legs and feet/hooves. Normally, when they use the normal hand design, they use human feet, but when they use hooves they tend to go with the missing finger design, as well as drawing the leg and hoof as something akin to a solid club like the fore-hooves on ponies in the show (another change- the point where the hoof and leg connect is more noticeable). Took me a while to find one that had a design I could agree with, but this is my current idea (not showing full pic since I'm not sure if it would be considered NSFW or not, will however give the aritist deviantart name so you can look him up if you want):
artist's deviantart name- Hotaruchie. hasn't done much pony art, but what little there is pretty good
In a way the design is meant to be somewhat awkward in the eyes of both humans and ponies alike, but in reality anthros have virtually no problems whatsoever moving around just as humans do (swimming is a bit weird though, takes getting used to).
Physical capabilities- anthros, or at least earth, crystal, pegasus, and thestral types, are generally a bit stronger and more energetic than the average human, while unicorns are about the same. While ponies might still beat anthros in regards to strength and stamina, the latter's lighter body and more flexible structure would at least give them a bit of a chance.
magical capabilities- while all anthros are capable or using the magic connected to their pony tribe, it's at a reduced state do to their mix biology. winged anthros can usually only fly for a few minutes, and are more suited to hovering. unicorns tend to have a harder time using magic, and are prone to suffering from migraines. earth and crystal are probably the only ones that don't have an incredibly noticeable difference between their own abilities and that of their full-blooded counterparts (though crystal anthros tend to require more concentration to use their abilities... I'll get to the magic of each tribe at a later date).
Diet- anthros are omnivores, but generally prefer to have meat as a side rather than a main course.
...Think this is everything I can think of at the moment. As always, any comments you may have may be left below.
Cool. Thanks for clearing that up.