Mudokon digits
 

I’ve had an opinion on this for years, and wondered what everyone else thought. Do you prefer three or four fingers (counting thumbs) on Mudokons’ paws?

In a strange sort of way, the 4-fingered paw seemed more alien and creepy than the 3-fingered version.

I've always thought the four-fingered paw just fitted the character more than the three-fingered paw. It was just that little pinky finger that made Abe seem that much more 'Odd'. I used to just like it because it came first, before the three-fingered paw, but now that I think about it, four fingers really was just better.

I like the three finger version. When they still had 4 they had this little pinky thingy that was so small it was pretty much there for no reason.

The three-finger one does seem more modern and synonymous with mudokons now, but if we were able to go back the four-fingered design (and undo two games worth of severance) then I would.

Whenever they point with a three fingered hand, I can't help but see it like their using their equivalent of their middle finger. I mean, imagine a mudokon giving you the one fingered salute. Does it look like his index or middle finger? I rest my case.

Though three fingers makes more sense if they evolved from birds with the wing anatomy and so on, 4 fingers was still better. They have a sort of pinky now, they might as well be wearing big oven mitts. It must be pretty hard to grip and pick up stuff properly with one finger. If all my fingers were merged into one, I'd probably go loony, if I didn't kill myself first.
Though I see Havoc's point, they still have the pinky, and just lost noe major finger, so they still have a useless one.

Curse you Japan and your stupid laws.

I prefer the 3 fingered paw. The extra finger just looks tiny and easy to snap.

I like the paw with four fingers. The one with 3 looks anatomically weird. I dunno.

I like the four fingered paw, because that was the original idea, and that's what they wanted to bring to the audince before Japan messed it up...

And I think it looks cooler.

I originally, and for a long while, prefered four; but have grown akin to three. However, I still think that the Mudoken paw on the Mud moon looked much better with four fingers.

I prefer the 3 fingered Mudokon. First of all, he can flip the bird, second of all, I must agree with people here that little finger you can call a pinky was so pointless. It scared me in a way.

But the three fingered paw still has a useless pinky, doesn't it?

I liked the version with 4 Fingers at most. But I understand the disput with the Japanese culture. It's alright. 3 fingers are okay.

@ Zerox: No, every fingers has a function. There is no pinky anymore.

I prefer the four fingered Mudokons.

Alcar...

i think the four fingers look better than the three as 1:i just prefer the look of the four,and 2:like oddsville said,the moons paw inprint looks much better with 4.

I could've sworn it did...*checks*

...

It.s not really a pinky, I suppose, but it's still rather on the small side (though if it were bigger, it would look weird anyway). It's still rather stupid looking, though, like in the Tomahawker picture, he's holding that club with one finger, or at least we can't see the other finger doing any good. It just looks...well, stupid.

Four, enuf said.

A lot of creatures have vestigial features. What's wrong with mudokons having one?

Well although I do like the three fingered paw and have no problem with it what so ever I'd just say I liked the four fingers betters, the three fingers are still good it's just that the four fingers beat it in my book. And we can thank Japan for this thread. ;-) to those that either have the book or do alot of research. By the way not trying to be in any way racist, I'm just saying.

I could proabably write some five page diatribe on how the 'pinky' was just useless and was only beneficial for small mudokons, whose hands weren't large enough to accept the burden, so they pinky falls offf eventually, and what we see it as in AO is the last stage of it shriveling up.

Ah, the response has been great. Thanks, everyone. I’m actually surprised. I find the three‐fingered Mudokon paw to be much more strange and pathetic. It makes Muds more alien, but at the same time, more something to feel sympathy for.

That's true it is something to feel sympathy for, and that's what one thing they were trying to accomplish.

Like 4 fingers. (But Japan had to ruin it)

I have the urge to point out that the guilty faction here isn’t simply Japan, but an unnamed Japanese organization that profits by exploiting a largely forgotten stigma.

Max, can you exlain what you mean, cause I am pretty interested. Do you also know why they had to change the mudokon pop

What do I mean? The whole thing has been perfectly well explained by OWI, just read their F.A.Q.. Or my own F.A.Q.</plug>

I don’t know what specific events urged OWI to change the Mudokons Pop graphic.

I think they changed the Mudokon Pop graphic because they thought an actual severed head on a pike may have been a tad gory for players, so they switched to a much more 'popsicle' styled picture. ...Unless I'm completely mistaken and have no idea what we're talking about.

And I actually vote 3 fingers. The little sticky-outy digit just seemed too anatomically incorrect to me. And the pinky on the 3-fingered hand now seems to turn inwards like an opposable thumb, like the Elites from Halo. But I don't think it actually is opposable, just turned inwards.
And I find it hilarious that a Mudokon looks like he's flipping the bird when he points. Sure, it's strange, but isn't that what Oddworld is about?

A lot of people do point with their middle finger.

I like the 4 fingers muds.
The 3 fingers ones looks too much unrealistic. (Although oddworld is odd, it's still realistic)
What next? 2 fingers? 1? no fingers at all?! :O

What would be the point in that miniture finger anyway?

Only 3 Fingers & it's OK!

Three any day for me-the 4 makes it look a little silly

I dunno I don't mind but with 4 its just a little stubby finger that can't do anything but I really don't mind.

Four Fingers. It's so much more... natural. My favourite feature about muds were the little pinky-ish finger. And same goes for the ones on their feet. What's wrong with the 4th finger? we have pinkies on our feet, they're not used at all. And how are mudokons meant to use their hand properly? You need a certain amount of tendons muscles and support (aka fingers) to be able to hold things properly. Try putting your fingers into the "star trek salute" and picking something up. Not realistic enough, if you ask me. It's just not physically possible enough for me to agree with this 3finger change. Oddworld is all about making twisted, bizarre creatures and turning them into believable characters.
How do you do stuff with 3 fingers? Think about it.

We can’t pick objects up using the Vulcan salute or the Get Freaky gesture because our fingers haven’t evolved to operate easily when glued together. They are different lengths, too close together, and too parallel to begin with. Three‐fingered Mudokon hands can wrap around objects plenty well enough to pick them up, if only because of a heightened amount of grip the skin on their palms may be able to exhibit (remember the Muds climbing a wooden wall bare‐pawed at the start of Abe’s Exoddus).

Adding on to Max's point about that, 4 fingers would have a greater surface area, and likely a better grip for climbing also.

But obviously, we only find it difficult to do things while doing the Vulcan salute or whatever because we're trying to do a one finger job with two. Having two separate fingers next to each other makes it that much different and that much more difficult to do.

Our five fingers is presumably an efficient amount, though, given that the earliest land amphibians had 8 fingers or so, but never lost more than 5, so that must be the most usable amount for us.

I dunno, I was really confused when AE changed it, but I just
think it suits them more.

Early amphibians had a variety of digits, but it was those with five that became the ancestors of successive tetrapods. It is likely to have been nothing to do with the number of digits, rather the other adaptations that the pentadactyls had.

I prefered the four fingered muds. But I like the 3 fingered muds also.