A missed opportunity: The Slav Squat

[mechahamham]

Before we begin, I am not Slavic. However, my understanding is that many Slavic people out there are fairly proud of the 'Slav Squat' and purposefully lean into the stereotype a bit. Fitness folks even say it's a healthy practice and helps strengthens core muscles. Please feel free to correct me if you know differently.

 

With the new, higher-level Skulls hanging around KW, many of whom lean into the gang's Eastern-European origins, it seems like we missed an opportunity for a relatively easy-to-animate emote in the memetastic Slav Squat:

 

 

(Some attractive young folks living out the Adidas-clad stereotype.) 

 

Blender, for example, comes with built-in Inverse Kinematics constraints, as did animation packages I personally used more than 20 years ago. What that means is that you can animate things like squats and jumps simply by dragging one or two handles around in your modelling application of choice. If you think of taking an articulated action figure and pushing it into a squat pose by its hips, that's more or less the same thing.

 

What I don't know is how much access or ability the HC team has to modify animations, but it seems like this one would be fairly straightforward if they did have at least limited power in that direction.

 

So maybe someone with more knowledge about CoH's animation backend can do some animation work?

[Scarlet Shocker]

they're aiming over imaginary holes in the ground.

[Skyhawke]

Rule of thumb at the gym is any exercise with an Eastern European name at the front of it can and will kill you, which makes them the best ones. Squat on, Skulls!

[Chance Jackson]

If it's easy to do i say go for it

[Lines]

4 hours ago, mechahamham said:

knowledge about CoH's animation backend

 

In this specific case, what you need is knowledge of CoH's back-end animation.

[Rudra]

But why are you referencing the Skulls for this? I'm not understanding. If you want the emote, just ask for it. Why link it to a death worshipping, drug dealing, drug addicted, near nihilistic gang?

[Enamel_32]

31 minutes ago, Rudra said:

But why are you referencing the Skulls for this? I'm not understanding. If you want the emote, just ask for it. Why link it to a death worshipping, drug dealing, drug addicted, near nihilistic gang?

 

I don't think the game really drives the point home very clearly, but they (or their leaders) have slavic roots. https://homecoming.wiki/w/index.php?search=slavic&title=Special%3ASearch&go=Go

[Rudra]

5 minutes ago, Enamel_32 said:

 

I don't think the game really drives the point home very clearly, but they (or their leaders) have slavic roots. https://homecoming.wiki/w/index.php?search=slavic&title=Special%3ASearch&go=Go

Great. Doesn't really answer my question though. If someone wants new emotes added to the game? I support them. More options are a good thing. Linking them to an in-game gang though? Especially if the request is something that like the OP said is something a specific culture is proud of? Nothing screams 'we like what you do and would like to honor it' more than linking it to a much despised in game gang. So, I don't understand why the author bothered to link the new emote request to the Skulls. Especially since while the Skulls have slavic references, they themselves are not a slavic group. They are a rampant gang recruiting from the people of Paragon City. So I'm still confused.

[Skyhawke]

How do you think the Skulls got to the level 40-50 range? Squats! Work that core! 

[Forager]

1 hour ago, Rudra said:

So I'm still confused.

 

I got you. It's because it would be cool and funny. Spawns of Skulls doing the Slav Squat in Kallisti Wharf would look cool but also be kind of funny.

 

Cool and funny is a popular design choice and one that is fairly prevalent in City of Heroes. People like it. People would see the Skulls squatting like that and like it. They would be all like 'lol' and also 'ngl... that looks cool'

 

He suggested it because he would like to see that and thinks others might like it, too. He's right.

[mechahamham]

1 hour ago, Enamel_32 said:

 

I don't think the game really drives the point home very clearly, but they (or their leaders) have slavic roots. https://homecoming.wiki/w/index.php?search=slavic&title=Special%3ASearch&go=Go

 

A lot of the i27 Skulls in KR speak in a broken English that I think is supposed to evoke an Eastern European accent. The new Skulls in KW have their Slav roots in their description text. I saw that and immediately said to myself, "They need to not be walking around idly. They need to be doing the Squat, preferably with a bottle of something illegal in hand."

Edited 13 hours ago by mechahamham

[Rudra]

44 minutes ago, mechahamham said:

 

A lot of the i27 Skulls in KR speak in a broken English that I think is supposed to evoke an Eastern European accent. The new Skulls in KW have their Slav roots in their description text. I saw that and immediately said to myself, "They need to not be walking around idly. They need to be doing the Squat, preferably with a bottle of something illegal in hand."

...

 

Okay, I'm going to ask for an example of Skulls in KR speaking in broken English, because I have never encountered any that did so. Only one of the AVs ever did in one mission. Aside from that? I'm dropping out of the conversation before anyone thinks I'm opposing a request for a new emote.

[Skyhawke]

[Ukase]

Americans squat in this fashion, too. But only before we make them go to school. Look at a 5 year old - they intuitively squat. And we kill that by making them sit in a stupid desk for 6 to 8 hours a day. I mean, it's unreal. A 4 or 5 year old squatting will keep heels and toes flat on the ground, with the crease of their hips below their knees. And when we get older and try to replicate this without weights, well..some folks have trouble with it. And when we add weight before we get that addressed..well, injuries can happen. 

If you do nothing else, squat your own body weight 30 - 50 times a day, not even necessarily in a row. Maybe while waiting for the MSR or Hami Raid to begin! Your far in the future self will thank you. You current and tomorrow self might not. 

 

[Rudra]

3 minutes ago, Ukase said:

Americans squat in this fashion, too. But only before we make them go to school. Look at a 5 year old - they intuitively squat. And we kill that by making them sit in a stupid desk for 6 to 8 hours a day. I mean, it's unreal. A 4 or 5 year old squatting will keep heels and toes flat on the ground, with the crease of their hips below their knees. And when we get older and try to replicate this without weights, well..some folks have trouble with it. And when we add weight before we get that addressed..well, injuries can happen. 

If you do nothing else, squat your own body weight 30 - 50 times a day, not even necessarily in a row. Maybe while waiting for the MSR or Hami Raid to begin! Your far in the future self will thank you. You current and tomorrow self might not. 

 

Squatting is fairly common outside the US. Everywhere I went (outside the US), people squatted for various reasons. They squatted while working. They squatted while resting. They squatted while waiting. They even squatted while eating if they were out and about, and drinking various beverages. Squatting is fairly universal, and getting it as a new emote is fine.