Staff Litter 2020 Discussion Thread

[Alyssa99]

Someone tell me why the pets with 0-1 line edit has to grow first I wanna see a big one that take up 3 spaces😂

The simpler ones always seem to grow first for some reason...🤔

[craig?]

oh my gosh, the stripey dog is so beautiful! so far its my favorite XD

[Schuyler]

I will confirm that someone has guessed my puppy correctly! Now which one is it, I wonder? 🤔

[catmother456]

Ok so im really bad at connecting the clues and stuff but I'm just gonna throw it out there that the last blanketed pup is meveh's.
Why? Theirs was the last dog to grow last year and their clue "What are your pups' favorite season? Winter". Winter is cold so you want to stay in bed as long as possible. Also last years turned out to be a pps so I think they might continue that tradition. I know its a long shot but I'm going for it.

Hmmm, interesting theory! c;

I'll deny a dog if you guys can come up with some more specific theories like this!

Okay, I have a theory that I am sure is wrong, but I’ll throw it out anyways. I’ve been thinking about it, but since I’m not a gamer, what I am basing this on is just bits and pieces of information from reading. So hopefully, if anything, maybe we will get a denial to narrow things down.


Since the first hint was pps it leads me to believe meveh’s pup hasn’t grown yet. Last year meveh’s staff was a pps, so the hints can go in a number of directions as well as in determining which pup. meveh’s style seems to lean towards details like their store pets and other pets she has made.


Something I did notice is there are 2 references to Four Swords. Initially, meveh’s interests said - although i've never played it, LOZ: Four Swords is my favorite game!

And in meveh’s signature, there is a Four Swords gif

So of course, my pea brain says *it must be a hint* so I am going to assume that is a hint. I am also looking at Zelda as a whole, too.

But how does it tie into the image of the Crescent Moon light, which is the new link in interest? I found there is a Crescent Moon island in the Legend of Zelda series. And there are Moon Pearls and Moon Gates that Link uses in the Four Swords game.

The pup taking on a Mage role could be a reference to the Mages in the Four Swords who are primarily found in the Village of the Blue Maiden, and one of them gives Link a Moon Pearl to use the Moon Gate to go between the Light World and the Dark World.

The pup’s favorite season in Winter. This could be referencing the first two stages of Four Swords - Frozen Hyrule and the Temple Of Ice, which could also tie in the Ghost/Ice type of Pokemon.

And there is a ghost in the Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventure. It is Jalhalla, a boss that serves as the final enemy in The Swamp and the Infiltration of Hyrule Castle. Jalhalla becomes vulnerable to attack when exposed to light.

The pup prefers a balance of rain and sun. Perhaps this refers to the different things that happen will make it rain have the sum come out. For instance: When all the Geese are gone, it will rain. ... When the path ends, a gate will close up behind you and the sun will come out.

As for a bird being the pup’s friend, there isn’t a lot of birds in the Four Swords, but there are in the Zelda series, like the owl, Kaepora Gaebora

So as of now, I”m assuming her pup has something to do with the Four Swords, or Zelda, or both.

Again, I am sure this is wrong, but just wanted to put this out there.

As for meveh’s pup, I do like Cinxer’s theory that the pup is still in a blanket. But, if the pup has grown, I’ll throw out these pups

- details and the stripes

- a dot pattern at the edge

- looks like ice

[Schuyler]

If you can connect at least 3 of my answers/hints (besides the hex code; that's too easy) to one of the outcomes, I will claim or deny it. I think you have enough there to make a good guess!

[clickbait]

i have a sneaky feeling that this is schuyler's but i can't back my guess with hints for the chart
oops

[meveh]

Okay, I have a theory that I am sure is wrong, but I’ll throw it out anyways. I’ve been thinking about it, but since I’m not a gamer, what I am basing this on is just bits and pieces of information from reading. So hopefully, if anything, maybe we will get a denial to narrow things down.


Since the first hint was pps it leads me to believe meveh’s pup hasn’t grown yet. Last year meveh’s staff was a pps, so the hints can go in a number of directions as well as in determining which pup. meveh’s style seems to lean towards details like their store pets and other pets she has made.


Something I did notice is there are 2 references to Four Swords. Initially, meveh’s interests said - although i've never played it, LOZ: Four Swords is my favorite game!

And in meveh’s signature, there is a Four Swords gif

So of course, my pea brain says *it must be a hint* so I am going to assume that is a hint. I am also looking at Zelda as a whole, too.

But how does it tie into the image of the Crescent Moon light, which is the new link in interest? I found there is a Crescent Moon island in the Legend of Zelda series. And there are Moon Pearls and Moon Gates that Link uses in the Four Swords game.

The pup taking on a Mage role could be a reference to the Mages in the Four Swords who are primarily found in the Village of the Blue Maiden, and one of them gives Link a Moon Pearl to use the Moon Gate to go between the Light World and the Dark World.

The pup’s favorite season in Winter. This could be referencing the first two stages of Four Swords - Frozen Hyrule and the Temple Of Ice, which could also tie in the Ghost/Ice type of Pokemon.

And there is a ghost in the Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventure. It is Jalhalla, a boss that serves as the final enemy in The Swamp and the Infiltration of Hyrule Castle. Jalhalla becomes vulnerable to attack when exposed to light.

The pup prefers a balance of rain and sun. Perhaps this refers to the different things that happen will make it rain have the sum come out. For instance: When all the Geese are gone, it will rain. ... When the path ends, a gate will close up behind you and the sun will come out.

As for a bird being the pup’s friend, there isn’t a lot of birds in the Four Swords, but there are in the Zelda series, like the owl, Kaepora Gaebora

So as of now, I”m assuming her pup has something to do with the Four Swords, or Zelda, or both.

Again, I am sure this is wrong, but just wanted to put this out there.

As for meveh’s pup, I do like Cinxer’s theory that the pup is still in a blanket. But, if the pup has grown, I’ll throw out these pups

- details and the stripes

- a dot pattern at the edge

- looks like ice

ohoh man, i love these in depth theories!! props to you catmother, the lengths you go to in order to draw conclusions is really remarkable haha.although i must say, there is something right under your nose that you might not be taking at face value!
i'll go ahead and deny this pup!

[GatheringRosesInSnow]

Have no idea why this has become a narrative but I'm a leaving a recap while I to gather my thoughts and several disparate hints together:

So hard on the heels of the far left theory a clue was revealed

Interesting guess! But I'm going to have to deny all of those games and the pup. This one is not mine.
359d93

Hex Code!
Maybe the base color of their pup? <3
https://www.colorhexa.com/359d93

Alexandria suggested the spotted pup that grew into todays outcome.

Hex Code!
Maybe the base color of their pup? <3
https://www.colorhexa.com/359d93

if it is the base colour, my guess would be this pup!

Lex countered with the palest pup on the block

Maybe this one,
The color kinda stands out on it!

And ebonite then countered with one of the favourites from the Nadine school of thought

I'm going to guess this pup. I found this color on the pup using inspect element. c:

I then offered up a guess to suggest it was the pale one or the lynx (totally forgotting that the hints chart had the latter one down for a denial) initially discounting the spotted pup as per what I had correlated from the investigations into the origins of Schuyler's handle.

I will confirm that someone has guessed my puppy correctly! Now which one is it, I wonder? 🤔

So three strong contenders. At the same time I was looking into another aspect of another castaway fact and found mention of a game called Chevalier, an intriguing platform game we'd never come across before but in one of the screenshots the horse was wearing yellow caprison with red spots... probably totally irrelevant but both that aspect and the Skylar game still made me want to say it's today's striped outcome now that the stripes have been revealed.

The hints chart was looking a little bare so I needed to dig deep for some answers.

I'd be down to answer some more questions 👀

What’s their favourite gemstone? 👀

Gonna hijack this question and say my dog loves lapis lazuli. And totally not just because it's my own favorite stone.


PS. Y'all with the hint chart are missing all of my answered questions. You're going to want to pay attention to those. ;P

Well that confirms my sneaking suspicions but didn't throw any light on the matter

I've been replaying my favorite video game recently and let it very vaguely inspire the design of my staff pet this year. I don't know how useful that knowledge will be for you, but do with it what you will.

Hint #1: Not Pokemon.
Hint #2: Don't focus on color, unless you're focusing on the right spot. Then you may see a color or two to nudge you in the right direction. At least someone will.

The colour thing, we knew it was important but couldn't find the sweet spot!

hm, staff, what would your pups talent be?

Sprinting super fast!

Hey staff, I have a question for y’all:

Which natural element would your pups most likely belong to??

Probably fire

QUESTION FOR STAFF MEMBERS:

There's a piece of yummy food at the end of a tunnel and there are 3 ways to get to it.

1. Would your pup travel through a dense, jungly undergrowth-like tunnel with lots of vines and plants and trees?
2. Would they travel through a barren, icy tundra with cold, refreshing water and a LOT of snow?
3. Would they travel up a jagged, steep mountain? (i mean that could be the easiest option if your pup could, ya know, fly?)

I imagine they'd tackle the mountain.

Talent - Sprinting really fast, suddenly becomes obvious in the context of a (platform) game, as does having a Firefly for a pet friend so I was thinking of Spyro (which I have a feeling shares the same platform as Skylar and Plux (If that is indeed Schuylers aforementioned mystery game?) The plot thickens. I wasn't sure how the 'Fire' element would tie into the game unless it actually refered to Spyro (being a dragon)

Also if we hold with the hint chart is right and while the the 'pup' didn't have a coloured tag, the dog does. But as Schuyler said some hints related to last year then that opens it up to ignore the tag on this year's dog as being not relevant so both stances could be equally true.

(Suddenly noticing a striped dinosaur in the rotating sigs and wow, is that a red herring clue to the striped dog or what.)

But is the case closed when you consider the final point - every single one of Schuyler's staff pups have one ear down/broken as does today's the striped dog

Fingers crossed have we gathered enough evidence to point to today's outcome as being yours Schuyler? (or do we still have to go faster faster faster to figure out the right pup) X

[LKP12321]

Ok Schuyler, I did some minor digging and we’ll see if it payed off:

Hint #1: Not Pokemon.
Hint #2: Don't focus on color, unless you're focusing on the right spot.
Then you may see a color or two to nudge you in the right direction. At least someone will."
Hint #3: If your pup could be friends with another animal (that isn't a dog), what would they pick?
I think mine would enjoy hanging out with a firefly.
Hint #4: does your puppy have a colored tag? My puppy does not have a colored tag.
Hint #5: How would your pet like going swimming? I'm not sure swimming would be a great idea for them.
Hint #6: hm, staff, what would your pups talent be? Sprinting super fast!
Hint #7: Which natural element would your pups most likely belong to?? Probably fire
Hint #8: Option question: - travel through a barren, icy tundra with cold, refreshing water and a LOT of snow? travel up a jagged, steep mountain? travel through a dense, jungly undergrowth-like tunnel with lots of vines and plants and trees?
-I imagine they'd tackle the mountain.
• Hint #9: What’s their favourite gemstone? Gonna hijack this question and say my dog loves lapis lazuli.
• Hint #10: Text in transparent: I've been replaying my favorite video game recently and let it very vaguely inspire
the design of my staff pet this year. I don't know how useful that knowledge will be for you, but do with it
what you will.

1. Dillon’s Rollin’ Western, not Pokémon
2. The “spot” could be the nose, hinting at more yellow in the final growth, or at the color of Dillon, or even a spot on Dillon (the bandana?)
3. A firefly could be a nod to the Old West itself or another game reference (I don’t play video games so I have no knowledge of it)
4. No colored tag on puppy stage
5. I don’t think a pet inspired by a desert animal like an armadillo would be great at swimming
6. I assume speed is one of Dillon’s abilities
7. Fire because the pup is inspired by an animal who lives in the desert where it’s (who’d have guessed it?) hot
8. “Tackle the mountain” because part of the game is to save villages from rock-monsters
9. Lapis lazuli is a high value gem in the game
10. I found an some old posts of yours from 2014/2015 that said

I don't know if I'd say he's my absolute favorite game character (I guess I don't really have one?), but I love Dillon from Dillon’s Rolling Western. ^^

do you have a 3ds? if so, what is your favorite game on it currently?

Yep
Dillon's Rolling Western & Dillon's Rolling Western: the Last Ranger

So I think that this dog

Was inspired by this armadillo, and designed using the colors of his bandana, with red eyes to acknowledge the red on the character

The stripes on the dog also remind me of armadillo bands (the tail section mostly), tumbleweeds, or the brush that grows in the west

And I would like to repeat that I do not play this (or really any) video game and I am basing this all on some quick Wikipedia research I did in the middle of the night, so please forgive anything I may have misinterpreted. I tried my best to understand the gist of the game

Edit: The dog’s main color is also the teal that you hinted at with the hex code

[Schuyler]

- snip -

Hmm ... You didn't get the hints quite how I intended, but since you did all the work to pull all that together, I will confirm that yep, today's outcome is mine! ^^

The game I was talking about was actually Okami. I don't think that really came across at all in the design, though, so I would have been extremely impressed if anyone had been able to make that connection, haha. The color hint that went along with that was for the eyes: red and white!

The other hints were referencing the stripes, which with how they came out ended up making me think of electricity / lightning bolts:

• Firefly = lightning bug
• Swimming would probably be a bad idea because, well, electricity
• Sprinting lightning fast
• Fire because I'm hopelessly obsessed with ATLA, which means lightning = fire in my mind
• Climbing the mountain because I have this image in mind of them just zipping straight to the peak like a bolt of lightning
• Lapis lazuli because ... honestly mostly just because it's my own favorite. But also the stripes and light patches reminded me a bit of the pyrite and calcite veins in lapis

And the "no colored tag" was only talking about the puppy stage.


Also great deducing, LKP12321! c: Dillon hadn't crossed my mind, but now I'm in love with that idea, too.