I have two updates with regard to the Krystal Archive Discord Server.

New Emotes!

First of all, we have new emotes! Custom emotes, in fact. I commissioned 20 different Krystal emotes from artist PanDeSalvado across a wide range of expressions and memes. Thanks to him for his excellent work on these. You can see all the new ones in the image above, which are added to the existing few dozen older ones we have. The codes for the new emotes are:

• :k_angry:
• :k_blush:
• :k_confident:
• :k_cool:
• :k_cry:
• :k_edge:
• :k_facepalm:
• :k_hype:
• :k_investigate:
• :k_laugh:
• :k_sad:
• :k_salute:
• :k_shrug:
• :k_smile:
• :k_smug:
• :k_surprise:
• :k_think:
• :k_unimpressed:
• :k_wat:
• :k_wink:

Why Aren't Invites Working?

Secondly, some of you may have noticed that previous invite links no longer work. This is intentional. We've had a bit of drama over the last few months that has led to several people leaving. As a result, I have intentionally kept invites to the server locked down to invite only. There are no special requirements to get an invite, you just have to ask for one. This will prevent random people from joining out of the blue and we can ensure new members understand the way the server works at the beginning. Also, only the people who actually care enough to ask to be there will be able to get in. I think that will probably lead to a better overall community.

The critical thing to understand is that the Krystal Archive server is intended for all ages, like the Krystal Archive site itself. By making sure the content is safe for all ages, everyone has equal opportunity to enjoy the community without worrying about age-inappropriate discussion. This isn't an empty platitude; there are actual kids and teenagers who frequent both the site and the Discord server.

Some anger and drama has resulted from the insistence on keeping the language clean and banning discussions of politicized topics. Some people do not feel comfortable if they are NOT allowed to use adult language or discuss politicized topics, which is fine. However, that means that they are not going to have a good time on the server. So when people ask to join, I make sure they read the rules fully and have them understand that the rules will be enforced. Every single rule there has been carefully crafted to try and prevent drama and keep the community safe for all ages.

If you want to join a group of passionate Krystal fans and are also okay with keeping the drama away and the language clean in the server, feel free to reach out for an invite! You can contact me via email at mrkrystal@gmail.com, or send a message to my Discord ID "Mr. Krystal#0525" (the white cyber-horse avatar).

Comments in the Future

Ever since the Discord server went live, most of the commenting done on the site by readers is now being done in Discord. In the coming months, I would like to shift away from the Wordpress system the Krystal Archive currently uses and instead use a static site generator system. This will mean the site will be much faster, but it also means that the commenting system will no longer exist. Previous comments on past stories will be saved, but no future discussion on the site will be possible. Given that it isn't used that much anymore anyway, I don't think this will be a major loss.

A new mod has surfaced for Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time that replaces Link with Fox McCloud who has crash-landed on a hostile alien planet. Fox has to survive against waves of enemies over the course of several nights with only a sword for defense. You can download the mod and see instructions in the details of the video.

YumeAislinn has reached 100 followers on Twitch.tv, and so, as promised, she will be modeling Krystal in 3D from scratch live. Today, she'll be starting with a "turn-around" which is just an image to show the proportions, different sides, and design that will eventually be translated into 3D polygons. The process will take a few days. She's live RIGHT NOW, and will be working for a bit each day until it's finished. She'll start with the Adventures outfit and then do the Assault outfit.

Join the stream and watch her work!

ShadowSnake is making good progress on his Krystal mod for Super Smash Bros Ultimate. The mod isn't finished yet. Sound effects, recolors, Assault outfit, effects, and UI still need to be completed. Once these are done, we will certainly let you know!

I asked ShadowSnake for some details about the mod, and here's a bunch of facts:

• Tail fur was added as a set of textures for a fuzzy look.
• The mod is a skin over Dark Pit, with additional tweaks.
• There are attempts being made to change Dark Pit's shields to a barrier and arrows to fire blasts.
• Changes to animations and movesets probably won't be in the first release, if at all.
• The mod will include a classic mode route, victory theme, and UI updates.
• The loincloth and tail both are physically active instead of static.
• Shine effects are applied to the armor/staff.
• She has animated eyes, full face expressions, final smash eyes, and ink/metal maps.
• The new HD textures were painted by VTAL with mesh improvements done by ShadowSnake.
• Someone is being commissioned to make the voice pack and renders for her that will be used for the release.
• This is one of the first mods to feature bone edits to resize dark pit's hands to more fit with Krystal's hand size, this was the biggest hurdle in her development.
• Using this mod will require an unpatched switch and ARCropolis (which is the latest standard in Smash modding, eliminating file size limitations).
• First version release will be within the next couple weeks, but it won't be rushed to make sure all improvements are considered.

ShadowSnake also mentioned the motivation:

This character has been my dream fighter for Smash since before Brawl came out and after seeing her as an Assist in Ultimate, I knew I had to make her playable somehow.

Godspeed, ShadowSnake. Now, here's a bunch of photos of the mod in-game.

Gallery

Hi friends. Just a quick note here to let you know why there haven't been many updates lately. I've encountered a rough spot in real life with multiple things hitting me at once. I'm managing, but it's keeping me very busy and tired. I will probably continue to be busy for the next month or two, so I must apologize in advance. Right now, in the last few days, it has been some of the most stressful. I think that I will have a little more leeway soon, but updates will probably continue to be sparse for the next few months.

Thank you for your continued patience. I still read all my emails, even if I don't have time to reply, and I will still jump into the Discord when I can. The site won't go away. No chance. It'll just be very slow for a while. See you on the other side!

Star Fox Adventures was released for the first time 18 years ago on September 23rd, 2002. The world (and Star Fox Fandom) would be forever changed!

Other birthdays include Nintendo itself, which was founded 131 years ago on September 23rd, 1889!

Sorry for the lack of updates. Real life stuff has been keeping me out of the loop. But I'm keeping track of things, so posts will continue soon.

SchattenKitsune666 tries her hand at 3D sculpting Krystal. It's no a bad start so far, but it's going to need some polish. In the meantime, there are several work in progress images available in her gallery.

CBPuppets, aka ChickyBoy, has created a bunch of custom Krystal fireworks to shoot off over his town, probably using the pattern generator website. Check out the video in the Twitter post.

GeroVort, creator of previous excellent Krystal fanart, has come up with a novel concept for Krystal. What if Krystal, who is from a different planet than Fox McCloud, actually was physically alien compared to him, rather than simply having a different fur color and psychic powers? The result of these questions lead to the creation of a truly Amazonian Krystal who is twice Fox's size and has a different facial structure. You can see in the scenes below how GeroVort shows the two characters meeting and interacting in a much more "first-contact" way than in the games. The different armor and staff designs are a nice touch too.

Check out the full resolution image at GeroVort's gallery page. Artwork posted with permission.

Humans are, at least in some groups, a controversial species with regard to Star Fox games. It's not that people don't like human characters. Rather, they just want to keep humans out of an otherwise all animal-character universe. And so far, that's MOSTLY been the case.

We all know about Starlink and how many humans appear in that game. Sure, it's technically a spin-off game, but there they are: humans along side many Star Fox characters.

Then, there's a close association with several characters and scenarios between the Star Fox and F-Zero universes. However, these are homages. No actual characters from Star Fox appear as their same selves in F-Zero and vice versa, unless you count secondary enemy Octoman.

There was also a long-running rumor of a development concept for a Star Fox x Metroid crossover, which would bring humans into Star Fox from another Nintendo franchise in a main-line game, at least, that was the claim. That rumor, if it was ever true, ultimately ended when the original source of the rumor said that the project was ultimately canned before any real development started, dying in the concept stage.

But what if I told you there was already a main-line Star Fox game that referenced humans? A reference few people were aware of until recently...

I don't want to spoil it, so only read more if you want to know the truth.