Miracinonyx (American Cheetah), The Speed Demon - Redesigned for Aberration

[Shockal]

IMPORTANT NOTE: I have removed the Miracinonyx from the Aberration creature votes. Why? Well, mainly because I am also the creator of the Ornimegalonyx (the Giant Flightless Owl). Both the owl and the cheetah were in top ten, and I couldn't help but to feel it was unfair that both my submissions were taking the top spots.

This does not mean the cheetah is gone forever. It will return for The Center and Valguero votes.

 

 

The Miracinonyx returns from the Ragnarok Creature Votes! This fast feline was originally created to traverse the varied terrain of Ragnarok's rugged landscape, but the cavernous depths of Aberration could also see fit for it.

At a design standpoint, The Miracinonyx dares to be the fastest sprinter in the whole game - even surpassing the Managarmr. If you enjoy spawning creatures on singleplayer and maximizing their movement speed just for the fun of racing around, then the Miracinonyx is a mount that will capture every essence of that thrill and dial it up to an unimaginable velocity, all while retaining viability in PvP thanks to its potent area denial abilities.

Autonomous obstacle-dodging and speedy climbing make it fit to thrive in Aberration's crowded caverns, while its ability to instantly deploy traps and hazards off its back make it a powerful threat in either a chase or a battle. Additionally, a few of its previous abilities have been reworked to be more in-line with Aberration.

The Rock Drake may be Aberration's prime mount for airborne travel, but the Miracinonyx is sure to be the prime mount for grounded travel.
 

New Artwork:

 

Old Artworks:

Diet: Carnivore

Temperament: Aggressive

Rideable: Yes (saddle optional)

 

What does it excel at?

SPEED.

 

Behold, the fastest creature the Ice Age has ever seen. The Miracinonyx is a lightly-built predator that can gather meat and hide in a pinch - but that's not its selling point. What makes this creature truly special is its fantastic stamina, impeccable turning radius, and PHENOMENAL agility. It can easily race amongst the fastest DLC creatures.

But such speed comes with a concern: how can you even control where you are going without bumping into objects?

When mounted, a toggleable mobility mode allows the Miracinonyx to autonomously swerve around obstacles, such as rocks, deep water, trees, and even other creatures! Think of it like a more complex version of the TEK Skiff's Autonomous Hover mode (yes, there are examples of simple smart pathing that already exist in the game - and ASA may improve it even further). This would allow survivors to move at ridiculous speeds through the densest forest floors without the inconvenience of getting snagged on a tree trunk or rock. The Miracinonyx will do the dodging for you, so your focus is free to do other things, like checking your GPS or map.

It also has a pretty sizeable jump!

However, for as long as the toggle is on, the Miracinonyx won't be able to climb. You'll need to toggle it off to do that.

Climbing with the Miracinonyx isn't identical to the Rock Drake. In order for the Miracinonyx to climb upwards, it first needs to build up a good amount of acceleration. Back up a bit to prep some speed, then zoom forwards and rush up the cliff face before your lose your momentum to gravity!

(Fun Fact: During the Ragnarok votes, this climbing ability was pretty much identical to that of the Rock Drake's. But since this is a map where the Rock Drake lives, I figured I needed to change it)

You'll also be able to climb up and down vines/ziplines as an option.

Undoubtedly, this is a mount designed for travel. But it also has a combative side (apart from its bites, that is). When equipped with a canister-loaded saddle, the Miracinonyx is capable of spewing a trail of irradiating gas wherever it runs, coating the battlefield into a noxious hazard. Deny swaths of area from your opponent! Congealed gas balls are used to fuel this gaseous trail.

For a more solid approach at area denial, try the TEK Saddle, which will leave behind a trail of physical barriers as you run forwards, as well as allow the Miracinonyx to sprint across the surface of water!

Additionally, any deployable traps or weapons that the survivor may have in their inventory can be thrown on the run, Mario Kart-style. Explosives such as grenades, plant species Z fruit, etc. can be tossed in front or behind you as you run, while traps such as bear traps, plant Y species, etc. are instantly ready the moment they hit the ground.

Zip by your foes and toss a  ̶b̶a̶n̶a̶n̶a̶ ̶p̶e̶e̶l̶  bear trap right under their feet!

... But if you're ever in the mood for a more direct approach of damage, there's nothing stopping you from using guns while mounted on the Miracinonyx! You've got to be one impressive sniper if you can pick off a target while moving at such high speed.

And lastly - cuddle buffs! (This was a pretty humorous suggestion from the previous voting round that I just absolutely had to add in) Give some nice pats to your Miracinonyx and gain a temporary boost to insulation. 

What is it weak to?:

- Turrets. Their lock-on accuracy will whittle down the Miracinonyx's frail health pool in a flash. Be careful around enemy bases with it.

- Traps set by enemies. Despite being a trap setter itself, the Miracinonyx's smart pathing won't detect traps, so it might run directly into one.

- Somewhat low weight. It's not terrible, but don't expect it to carry around your stacks of stone.

- Inadequate bite damage. It is not designed for DPS.

 

How do you tame it?:

The Miracinonyx is not tamed by conventional methods. Baby Miracinonyx are often found hiding in bushes or tight corners in the wild, shy of everything that wanders by. Survivors must approach carefully, and repeatedly feed it meat to gain its trust. But beware, for if it were to be startled, its nearby parents will immediately attack anything responsible for startling it. If you do manage tame it, the baby will be imprinted to you, and must be raised from there on.

But alas, even when in the safety of human care, the baby Miracinonyx remains an incredibly nervous creature. You won't be able to complete the imprinting process by yourself. In order to give your Miracinonyx the full enrichment it deserves, pair it with a "companion dog" (Like a Direwolf, Ravager, or other similarly-sized creature). Much like how real cheetahs are raised in captivity, this companion will help you get the full imprint potential out of your baby.

Open to suggestions! Feel free to comment your own ideas.
And of course, thank you for reading. I originally had no plans to resubmit the Miracinonyx past the Ragnarok votes, and instead began working on another creature in preparation for Aberration (the Ornimegalonyx). But after seeing the Miracinonyx arrive at 2nd place (just inching behind the Gigantoraptor) I decided to put effort into making new artwork for it. For those who had supported the Miracinonyx beforehand, thank you. Perhaps if it happened to reach 2nd place again, Wildcard may be grateful enough to add it in like they had done with the Carchadontosaurus' instance.

 

Edited July 11, 2023 by Shockal

[Ermerus]

On 7/8/2023 at 2:38 AM, Shockal said:

The Miracinonyx returns from the Ragnarok Creature Votes! And although this fast feline was originally created to traverse the varied terrain of Ragnarok's rugged landscape, the cavernous depths of Aberration could potentially be just as fitting for it.

At a design standpoint, The Miracinonyx dares to be the fastest sprinter in the whole game - even surpassing the Managarmr. If you enjoy spawning creatures on singleplayer and maximizing their movement speed just for the fun of racing around, then the Miracinonyx is a mount that will capture every essence of that thrill and dial it up to an unimaginable velocity, all while retaining viability in PvP thanks to its potent area denial abilities.

Autonomous obstacle-dodging and speedy climbing make it fit to thrive in Aberration's crowded caverns, while its ability to instantly deploy traps and hazards off its back make it a powerful threat in either a chase or a battle. A few of its previous abilities have also been reworked to be more in-line with Aberration, as well as giving it a travel niche separate from that of the Rock Drake's so both remain viable mobility mounts down to preference.
 

New Artwork:

 

Old Artworks:

Diet: Carnivore

Temperament: Aggressive

Rideable: Yes (saddle optional)

 

What does it excel at?

SPEED.

 

Behold, the fastest creature the Ice Age has ever seen. The Miracinonyx is a lightly-built predator that can gather meat and hide in a pinch - but that's not its selling point. What makes this creature truly special is its fantastic stamina, impeccable turning radius, and PHENOMENAL agility. It can easily race amongst the fastest DLC creatures.

But such speed comes with a concern: how can you even control where you are going without bumping into objects?

When mounted, a toggleable mobility mode allows the Miracinonyx to autonomously swerve around obstacles, such as rocks, deep water, trees, and even other creatures! Think of it like a more complex version of the TEK Skiff's Autonomous Hover mode (yes, there are examples of simple smart pathing that already exist in the game - and ASA may improve it even further). This would allow survivors to move at ridiculous speeds through the densest forest floors without the inconvenience of getting snagged on a tree trunk or rock. The Miracinonyx will do the dodging for you, so your focus is free to do other things, like checking your GPS or map. But of course, you can always toggle the pathing off if you do not desire it.

The Miracinonyx is also capable of clambering up and down cliffs - although not as proficiently of a Rock Drake. In order for the Miracinonyx to climb upwards, it first needs to build up a good amount of acceleration. Back up a bit to prep some speed, then zoom forwards and rush up the cliff face before your lose your momentum to gravity!

Undoubtedly, this is a mount designed for travel. But it also has a combative side (apart from its bites, that is). When equipped with a canister-loaded saddle, the Miracinonyx is capable of spewing a trail of irradiating gas wherever it runs, coating the battlefield into a noxious hazard. Deny swaths of area from your opponent!

For a more solid approach at area denial, try the TEK Saddle, which will leave behind a trail of physical barriers as you run forwards, as well as allow the Miracinonyx to sprint across the surface of water!

Additionally, any deployable traps or weapons that the survivor may have in their inventory can be thrown on the run, Mario Kart-style. Explosives such as grenades, plant species Z fruit, etc. can be tossed in front or behind you as you run, while traps such as bear traps, plant Y species, etc. are instantly ready the moment they hit the ground.

Zip by your foes and toss a  ̶b̶a̶n̶a̶n̶a̶ ̶p̶e̶e̶l̶  bear trap right under their feet!

... But if you're ever in the mood for a more direct approach of damage, there's nothing stopping you from using guns while mounted on the Miracinonyx! You've got to be one impressive sniper if you can pick off a target while moving at such high speed.

And lastly - cuddle buffs! (This was a pretty humorous suggestion from the previous voting round that I just absolutely had to add in) Give some nice pats to your Miracinonyx and gain a temporary boost to insulation. 

What is it weak to?:

- Turrets. Their lock-on accuracy will whittle down the Miracinonyx's frail health pool in a flash. Be careful around enemy bases with it.

- Traps set by enemies. Despite being a trap setter itself, the Miracinonyx's smart pathing won't detect traps, so it might run directly into one.

- Somewhat low weight. It's not terrible, but don't expect it to carry around your stacks of stone.

- Inadequate bite damage. It is not designed for DPS.

 

How do you tame it?:

The Miracinonyx is not tamed by conventional methods. Baby Miracinonyx are often found hiding in bushes or tight corners in the wild, shy of everything that wanders by. Survivors must approach carefully, and repeatedly feed it meat to gain its trust. But beware, for if it were to be startled, its nearby parents will immediately attack anything responsible for startling it. If you do manage tame it, the baby will be imprinted to you, and must be raised from there on.

But alas, even when in the safety of human care, the baby Miracinonyx remains an incredibly nervous creature. You won't be able to complete the imprinting process by yourself. In order to give your Miracinonyx the full enrichment it deserves, pair it with a "companion dog" (Like a Direwolf, Ravager, or other similarly-sized creature). Much like how real cheetahs are raised in captivity, this companion will help you get the full imprint potential out of your baby.

Open to suggestions! Feel free to comment your own ideas.
And of course, thank you for reading. I originally had no plans to resubmit the Miracinonyx past the Ragnarok votes, and instead began working on another creature in preparation for Aberration (the Ornimegalonyx). But after seeing the Miracinonyx arrive at 2nd place (just inching behind the Gigantoraptor) I decided to put effort into making new artwork for it. For those who had supported the Miracinonyx beforehand, thank you. Perhaps if it happened to reach 2nd place again, Wildcard may be grateful enough to add it in like they had done with the Carchadontosaurus' instance.

 

We need more mammals...take my vote!

[samuelhaffey]

Looking good!

[Luux]

I like this creature and really wish it had gotten more of a chance in the Scorched and Rag votes, especially the Scorched one. But I have some issues with it being suggested for Aberration and a few points about the mobility and how it works in Ark.

First. If you've ever been to Aberration, you'll realize that the terrain is some of the most claustrophobic and rough, especially the vairety of rocks and trees present, terrain you'll encounter in Ark. It is very limited in horizontal space and even worse is that the way the rocks work in this map is that they are often the worst enemy of any creature that does not autoclimb or have a jump that is being ridden by a player. I've lost creatures in the past just because they got stuck on a single rock they couldn't get off and mauled by the Ravagers that we'd been fleeing from. This map may have the terrain necessary for non jumping and climbing dinos to traverse it in the most important areas but it's not the majority.

Aberration is simply too rugged and varied in its terrain to truly support any creature that cannot adapt to it properly or requires the sort of open and smooth terrain that is required for something that is like the Cheetahs style of movement. I don't even care what method of dodging or steering it uses, this is actually very hard on a map like this because of the various clutter and this is precisely why the Roll Rat goes through obstacles that are breakable by plugging through them like a demolition wheel. Unless you simply go over or through the clutter you won't be getting anywhere.

The ability to Toggle a mobility mode that autopilot you around things is actually not a very good option imo. This is mainly because you're not the one doing the steering for it. I'd much rather the Cheetah require the steering and skill needed to properly get around and weave through obstacles. There are even ways the Tek Saddle could help with this by using kinetic energy built up to power a boost in speed, make skidding and bouncing off a wall abruptly to change direction possible while conserving momentum, or pull off better turns. Maybe even by running along a wall to curve around and make U turns or half U turns like those similarly shaped structures used in skateparks that look like a huge indent with a totally rounded profile like the mold of one quarter of a sphere or pill. If you're going to give it a mobility option it should have strafing built into its sprint instead of a Toggle, using the left and right keys this way you don't need a Toggle and don't need the game to do it for you, you could even use another button to throw more momentum into it to deepen strafes and turns or even perform a U turn, a skid or other actions.

A point against it would be solely the theme. This does not fit Aberrations theme at all. No offense to the creator of this concept but I absolutely disagree with suggesting this creature for Aberration because it takes up a slot against things that actually fit the map theme first of all. Imagine if we'd gotten a creature that was suited for cold climates or a fjordur themed creature for Scorched, or if Genesis ended up getting a plain carnivore or hadrosaur, yes it'd be unlikely but you make it worse by doing this. I understand people want their creatures in the game but can you respect the game enough to not try to throw your stuff at it when it doesn't suit it? We already have the disappointment of many cool ideas not likely being considered again just because they don't want to seem to add more than 1 per vote and map, but completely pulled an unfair favoritism card and gave us an excuse to not TLC gigas with the Carchar, something we may not get the chance to happen for other fan favorites like the Gorgonopsid and such.

Another point I will make is that does Aberration really need another mobility based creature? This map already has its methods of transport that not only fit the map but don't make the others irrelevant, the Roll Rat imo already takes the spot for the terrain based travel mount for Ab, whereas the Reaper is better for far more irregular terrain, as well as the Karkinos, and the Rock Drake for total mastery. I think we need creatures that offer other things to Ark and the maps playstyles.

Maybe rethink the mobility aspect a little so that it doesn't depend and hinge on an autopilot steer mechanic cause it would be so much better to just pull it off yourself. Especially if it can run on water. I don't think unfortunately that this map is suited for it and it needed to be put in a more open one that actually plays with its abilities as strengths. Sadly the map topography design got worse as more maps got released, and also the accessibility that the early ones had and made them so good cause you could use almost any creature without worry, the only exceptions being Gallimimus on most parts of the Island because of how claustrophobic the trees and rocks were and how they spawned. Rag was a good example of this and I think it could have been a good way to implement this creature.

All in all. Don't be discouraged for this creature cause we do need more cats and we already don't have many options besides the Cave Lion. I think you should definitely try and get this creature in for the votes for Extinction, Valguero and the Center. Those maps could definitely be better candidates and support your creature better. They are not only open maps but would mesh well with its abilities. 

[SrSebaxSG]

Epic Cheetah, Nice Idea!

[Gman2025]

cheetor

 

[Tocks]

my favorite, love it ❤️

 

[ikkihell]

what a good idea

[ZeroSouls23]

This would be so fun too ride in aberration

[Castx13]

I love how agile this creature is, and the tame is super unique.

[SergioYanny]

is very beautiful

[SamuraiMat]

wow this really needs to be in the game along with Kelenken and pronghorn lol the original american speedway

[GLADONOS]

7 hours ago, Shockal said:

Oh I've totally noticed, and I'm also a bit surprised about how it got to top ten despite all the comments. It has been making me consider holding the cheetah back in future votes until Center/Val/Crystal comes out. I don't think it will do well in the Extinction or Gen1 round.

I absolutely adore this creature but it is a terrible fit for Aberration and Gen 1.

Please don't hold out on Extinction. Extinction and Valguero are where this creature has by far the best chance to win because they are both so open. I can seriously imagine this thing running around in the Wasteland or White Cliffs.

In fact I would say it's pretty much screwed if it does not get one of those 2.

 

[josipguic]

Nice 👍🐆🟣☢️ 

[RaephClark]

On 7/8/2023 at 5:21 AM, RaephClark said:

Hopefully some form of the cheetah makes it to ARK! I also have a conglomeration of ideas from other people as well for a similar creature, Acinonyx pardinensis. Hope you enjoy it!

Common Name: Acinonyx (or Giant Cheetah)

Species: Acinonyx pardinensis (or for a new kind of species: celeritadaemon (Speed demon))

Time: Early Pleistocene

Diet: Carnivore

Temperament: Evasive and Opportunistic

Wild
Also known as the Giant Cheetah, this cat is what you would imagine it would be, built for speed. Set as a contender for the fastest creature on the ARK, the Acinonyx can outrun anything, even the Gallimimus! What's more is that it can turn on a dime if it needs to thanks to its cleat-like feet, evading obstacles that may otherwise hinder its direct path. Though solitary, Acinonyx will occasionally team up with another individual to hunt down prey. And once it catches up, it'll trip its prey, temporarily stunning them until they finish it off.

Despite being the speed demon it is, the Acinonyx isn't the best fighter. In fact, like its modern counterpart, if another predator sees an opportunity to claim the kill, the Acinonyx will flee to avoid confrontation. And in its wake, the Acinonyx will leave a dust cloud that’ll temporarily blind others, so it gets a head start. I guess you could say it tells everyone to “eat my dust!” That doesn't mean it can't get to the kill first, especially in the desert heat. 

Domesticated
Acinonyx are quite difficult to tame because of their evasiveness and wariness of predators. Not only that, they have incredible stamina that prevents even the best tranquilizers from slowing it down. However, I have seen Survivors use carcasses of creatures to lure them out as they lie in wait for them to feast. If other predators are clear of the area, the Acinonyx will feel more comfortable going in for a bite. Being the fastest mammal in the desert, the Acinonyx makes for a great travel companion. And with its agility, you can even evade oncoming attacks if you time it right, almost as if it has a “cat sense”. I’ve also seen some tribes pair their Acinonyx with Dire Wolves. I’ve never seen a cat more comfortable around a canine before, but it seems like the Dire Wolves benefit from the relationship with an added speed boost.

What’s more incredible is that they can help you lock-on to your targets as you are mounted for easy shooting, and they can even trip your targets for an easy kill or tame, almost as if it’s a living bola. And with how fast they move, they can even stun larger creatures by slamming into them with their momentum. I’ve even seen seasoned Survivors equip their fast and furious friend with a unique Tek saddle that puts its speed to the max, allowing it to strafe and dodge in every direction imaginable, almost like it leaving an afterimage of itself.

Details

Being the fastest land mammal in modern day, and being found in plains, savanna and desert in the modern world, I think the Giant Cheetah would be a prime choice for Scorched Earth. Plus I think we need more cats in ARK, right? Though the Giant Cheetah was slower than modern cheetahs due to their proportional size, we can still imagine this wonderful creature as the fastest thing in the land. 

The Giant Cheetah can be used for scouting as well as being a fast and annoying distraction in PVP. Like cheetahs today, they could make a 90-degree turn to catch prey off guard and trip them so they can go in for the kill. I also had the fun idea that Survivors can leave behind a grenade, C4 or something (if timed right) once they hit that 90-degree turn. This may have a cooldown after turning several times. The Giant Cheetah could alternatively leave a dust cloud that can blind enemies for a quick getaway.

As mentioned before, the Giant Cheetah will be built for speed, not power. You could chip away at enemies with the bomb run or quick swipes, but it would be preferred that you keep your kitty as alive as possible. They can have a slow Stamina drop, though you may need to feed them often to keep their energy up or just sit and let them charge their Stamina much faster. Though the Giant Cheetah could also create momentum and slam into a large target and stun it as well as deal a good chunk of damage. And what’s more is that it can have a “cat sense” that’ll allow it to evade enemy attacks with ease (this may have a cooldown as well). You could also pick up items as you pass over them if you enable it for easy grabbing, especially if you’ve died recently and are in dangerous territory and you need to grab your dropped gear as quickly as possible.

The Giant Cheetah would be a passive tame. First you should clear the area of any threats, aggressive predators or herbivores, and then kill a creature and drag it out in the open. The bigger the better. Then throw on some Ghillie armor (and maybe Bug Repellant?) and just lie in wait until it comes closer and feasts. The more bites it can take the better. Repeat the process until you've tamed your own Giant Cheetah! 

And with it tamed a tamed Acinonyx could receive a pack bonus from nearby Dire Wolves, or better yet, have an imprinted bond with an individual Dire Wolf so it’ll have increased stats with them, making it crucial to breed the best Dire Wolf possible to pair with a recently tamed or bred Acinonyx. Just have a Dire Wolf in proximity with the Acinonyx and it’ll give the option to pair, or once one is born, it’ll pair with the closest Dire Wolf. And because the Acinonyx is faster and may go further than the wolves, its bond range will be larger than other pack bonuses, making it ideal for PVP situations.

A tamed Giant Cheetah could also be a great taming mount, giving its rider a lock-on mechanic for easy aiming as well as the ability to trip wild or domesticated Dinos as if it were a bola. And for endgame, a Tek saddle could be given to it that’ll not only make it go faster, but give it the capability to strafe and evade with ease in every direction, even make afterimages of itself to confuse enemies.

Since they'll be found on Scorched Earth, they should be out in the open desert or more open areas where there is plenty of room to run around. They'll go after any creatures that won't fight back, or at least won't hurt it as much. If it takes enough damage, it'll flee. As for design, let’s give it the "King Cheetah" look, a color variant of modern cheetah that features recessive melanistic genes! Also, the cubs look incredibly cute! They chirp like birds and are little balls of fluff!

If anyone has any other thoughts, feel free to comment below!

And thank you to the following people who added more amazing suggestions!

pumpkin2k
LittleSpicyOreos (Tek saddle concept)
DrawolfKnight (art concept)
PaulStewart
AmanaTishala
ApocalypseGal
Furious33
KimaGaming
Crested Gecko

Sources
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acinonyx_pardinensis
https://dinopedia.fandom.com/wiki/Giant_cheetah (photo)
https://dwarffortresswiki.org/index.php/DF2014:Giant_cheetah (photo)
Image concept curtesy of DrawolfKnight

Just updated it @LittleSpicyOreos

[Shockal]

17 hours ago, Luux said:

I like this creature and really wish it had gotten more of a chance in the Scorched and Rag votes, especially the Scorched one. But I have some issues with it being suggested for Aberration and a few points about the mobility and how it works in Ark.

First. If you've ever been to Aberration, you'll realize that the terrain is some of the most claustrophobic and rough, especially the vairety of rocks and trees present, terrain you'll encounter in Ark. It is very limited in horizontal space and even worse is that the way the rocks work in this map is that they are often the worst enemy of any creature that does not autoclimb or have a jump that is being ridden by a player. I've lost creatures in the past just because they got stuck on a single rock they couldn't get off and mauled by the Ravagers that we'd been fleeing from. This map may have the terrain necessary for non jumping and climbing dinos to traverse it in the most important areas but it's not the majority.

Aberration is simply too rugged and varied in its terrain to truly support any creature that cannot adapt to it properly or requires the sort of open and smooth terrain that is required for something that is like the Cheetahs style of movement. I don't even care what method of dodging or steering it uses, this is actually very hard on a map like this because of the various clutter and this is precisely why the Roll Rat goes through obstacles that are breakable by plugging through them like a demolition wheel. Unless you simply go over or through the clutter you won't be getting anywhere.

The ability to Toggle a mobility mode that autopilot you around things is actually not a very good option imo. This is mainly because you're not the one doing the steering for it. I'd much rather the Cheetah require the steering and skill needed to properly get around and weave through obstacles. There are even ways the Tek Saddle could help with this by using kinetic energy built up to power a boost in speed, make skidding and bouncing off a wall abruptly to change direction possible while conserving momentum, or pull off better turns. Maybe even by running along a wall to curve around and make U turns or half U turns like those similarly shaped structures used in skateparks that look like a huge indent with a totally rounded profile like the mold of one quarter of a sphere or pill. If you're going to give it a mobility option it should have strafing built into its sprint instead of a Toggle, using the left and right keys this way you don't need a Toggle and don't need the game to do it for you, you could even use another button to throw more momentum into it to deepen strafes and turns or even perform a U turn, a skid or other actions.

A point against it would be solely the theme. This does not fit Aberrations theme at all. No offense to the creator of this concept but I absolutely disagree with suggesting this creature for Aberration because it takes up a slot against things that actually fit the map theme first of all. Imagine if we'd gotten a creature that was suited for cold climates or a fjordur themed creature for Scorched, or if Genesis ended up getting a plain carnivore or hadrosaur, yes it'd be unlikely but you make it worse by doing this. I understand people want their creatures in the game but can you respect the game enough to not try to throw your stuff at it when it doesn't suit it? We already have the disappointment of many cool ideas not likely being considered again just because they don't want to seem to add more than 1 per vote and map, but completely pulled an unfair favoritism card and gave us an excuse to not TLC gigas with the Carchar, something we may not get the chance to happen for other fan favorites like the Gorgonopsid and such.

Another point I will make is that does Aberration really need another mobility based creature? This map already has its methods of transport that not only fit the map but don't make the others irrelevant, the Roll Rat imo already takes the spot for the terrain based travel mount for Ab, whereas the Reaper is better for far more irregular terrain, as well as the Karkinos, and the Rock Drake for total mastery. I think we need creatures that offer other things to Ark and the maps playstyles.

Maybe rethink the mobility aspect a little so that it doesn't depend and hinge on an autopilot steer mechanic cause it would be so much better to just pull it off yourself. Especially if it can run on water. I don't think unfortunately that this map is suited for it and it needed to be put in a more open one that actually plays with its abilities as strengths. Sadly the map topography design got worse as more maps got released, and also the accessibility that the early ones had and made them so good cause you could use almost any creature without worry, the only exceptions being Gallimimus on most parts of the Island because of how claustrophobic the trees and rocks were and how they spawned. Rag was a good example of this and I think it could have been a good way to implement this creature.

All in all. Don't be discouraged for this creature cause we do need more cats and we already don't have many options besides the Cave Lion. I think you should definitely try and get this creature in for the votes for Extinction, Valguero and the Center. Those maps could definitely be better candidates and support your creature better. They are not only open maps but would mesh well with its abilities. 

Of all the comments I've seen on this submission, I think I spent the most time thinking about yours. Don't worry about offending me with your opinion, because this is the sort of criticism that I wish I got more often.

I know a lot of people like the gimmick of auto-dodging since it removes the irritation involved in traversing thick forest terrain, but I've been reconsidering it - especially since there's another friend of mine who suggests I consider adding a replacement mechanic which can aid in traversing said thick terrain, but isn't autonomous, so there's room for some skill expression (and perhaps giving Wildcard's programmers some realistic relief as well).

I've also definitely noticed all the comments saying it's unfitting for Aberration, even despite the visual redesign and the few new/reworked abilities - and I suppose I can see why. There's a bunch of other submissions for some bizarre and creepy critters that are more thematic with Aberration's alienating theme, and a big cat isn't the most "alien" critter.

That said, I've noticed there is still a ton of players who do like the cheetah and don't seem to mind it being in Aberration. But for next time, I will not be resubmitting the cheetah for Extinction or Gen1. I'll wait for either the Center, Valguero, or Crystal Isles votes to open.

Edited July 10, 2023 by Shockal

[Kastro]

God

[TanukiiTricks]

Personally, I think the one thing I don't like about this creature is the fact that in order to tame one you need to steal the cubs.

With stealing eggs it makes sense, since the creature inside the egg hasn't been born yet so they can't imprint onto their parents, but with creatures that have already been born they've already imprinted onto their parents.

Maybe a taming idea could be to race / outrun it? Having to make Energy Brews to tame one would be quite an interesting taming method.