oh, anton. many threads are "why i think apollo is the best new thing since ." i was just looking up something on displacement (i think that was it - i've been trying to find a few old threads for info), and came across a "best product of 2005" thread in which apollo's place was being debated. considering how many utilities (and even how many figures) came out this year, that's pretty big in my opinion. i, personally, have never found apollo offensive. i've even tried to mention several times that now is the time to get him and his add-ons. i also have tried to suggest that people form their own opinions by seeking out images of him. i think your reaction to criticisms has at times been a bit more emotional than i would expect, seeing how other merchants of your caliber and level react to criticisms and knowing how popular you and your work is, but never offensive. you get so much praise and actual adulation within the community, i never would have expected you to say how the community is so much worse for just for having some negative things to say about your work. not everyone is going to like him. just like every other product out there will be some who don't chose him and say why. since apollo has come out, v3 standard has had at least as many criticisms. m3 was never well received, to judge by criticisms in the forums. that isn't to say that most don't use him, or that he isn't the defacto standard. if daz stopped making humans, even males, due to complaints, they'd have stopped at m2. i never thought you didn't have a reason for execute his joints the way you did. they're just not to my taste. lots of people like them. heck, i think wyrmmaster's gi-normous floatation devices on the fronts females are just plain silly (not to mention really boring after a while), and look at his popularity. me, i prefer posermatic's realism to wyrmmaster's fantasy, but that's just me. there's more than room enough for many merchants of different styles. i don't think i've ever gone out of my way suggest people look into m3 more when i say i think david has better muscularity and joints. seriously, i've had more good things to say about apollo than any other product i didn't want to buy. i believe i've even said- multiple times- how revolutionary his joints are just based on other people's renders and statements. conversely, i've seen several people dismiss sixus1 products of various ilks, and i've seen them do nothing but increase their product line. if you're basing this on pure numbers (money in the bank), then i'm not privy and i can't say about "worth it." i can say a female will sell a hell of a lot better than a male. it's true, the market on females is kinda glutted right now. we have (including toons but not including v3 - who in my opinion isn't free) at least 12 free females. i will say this - i didn't think that daz was deliberately trying to kill apollo. no sarcasm intended- maybe i'm just a bit naive about this. i certainly have seen them go out of their way to kill competition before. but i really thought they were basing their model on sixus1 (and somewhat in response to them)- make more money on add-ons because people do have the character. i know that the big problem with daz is how many sales they have. i've never paid full price for a daz original. and now they seem to be giving away products that have passed their popularity peak. after stephanie petite (who was a disappointment), i swore i wouldn't invest any more in what were basically recycled characters, but each time, the prices were lower and the bundles were bigger. and the figures just enough better to buy. all of this is to say- i recognize making another female would have some risk involved. and with daz as the standard, it might be hard to set the kind of price you feel would be worth it. but that said... lots of people are dissatisfied with v3. i can't say anything about what "most" people want to be better about her (except maybe a larger chest and real genitalia ;D). i can say, people have been anticipating venus for a while. to judge from "works in progress", you might have even more competition at release time than you do now, but they also have you as competition. and you've got one of the best reputations in the community. some people pursue realism with v3, but many don't. more people render unclothed females than unclothed males, so as long as she had a lot of textures, i'm sure she'd be fine. most people like their females air-brushed and smooth- much fewer like rugged women than rugged men. give her multiple high-heel morphs to go with that chest and hip thing i mentioned, and you'll be a millionaire by within a year (kidding, kidding). seriously though, there's a lot of niche's you could fill if you wanted. but please, don't do it if every time someone says, "i don't like venus and here's why," it wounds you deeply and personally. i can say, without a doubt, some people won't like her. some people will have problems with her. some people will want her to be something she isn't. but i bet many more won't.

Message edited on: 11/27/2005 15:41