Fedman is right.
We should be having a ball.
Gow, you want to bounce, then bounce... but if you do not realize the simple ideology that its, "not what you say, but how you say it" that changes a critique into an opinionated statement, then you should go and lurk. I try not to get into heated BS in this and many communities, as I understand that typing a reply is not the most efficient means of communication, and a lot of the nuances seem to get lost, so I let it slide (hell it has even happen to me and gotten me bitten back). But I won't let silly statements about art become commonplace. If you personally like something a certain way, then offer up the suggestions, but remember that the artist will most likely already have the vision that they are going for, and they may not be asking for advice on changing it other than minor things like colour, or hard points, size etc... I offered the, 'extrude some feathers if possible' comment, because me being the original designer, envisioned something along those lines, but as its not my mesh, Pep has all the right to follow his feelings on how he wants the design. The ship already is obviously too Bird/Bat-like to be changed into something simpler or to fit previous eras, thus making Gow's comment shallow, because he didn't take the design's ideology into consideration. I don't have a problem with a person liking things a certain way, as so do I, and many, many times my ideology will and has conflicted with others, but that doesn't make it a "line that has been crossed all to often", or "Japanese anime". So yes it is an opinion, but it was not articulated well. thus coming out opinionated. Nothing that I have stated has not been stated many, many times... by me and others here. This is an old issue, so lets please move on.
Again Gow, if you feel you need to pack-up and bounce, then do it. But don't do it because feel you have been personally attacked, as that was not my intent, and I apologize, if My Balok's laugh offended you when I was just trying to make light of the situation before it got to this level. Its not a "double standard", but rather it is the standard, that critiquing and even more so, constructive criticism are helpful, but if the tone of the statement reads poorly, then it will be perceived as such.
So don't leave Gow, Keep making the ships how You envision them.
BTW my sincere apologies to everyone in this thread, and especially to Pepperman, for dragging this, this far.