The tag alias #64868 back_spikes -> spiked_back is pending approval.

Reason: Just as tail_spikes is aliased to spiked_tail—it seems to be the preferred articulation—and to clean up a few tags.

Looking at all the tags that imply spikes_(anatomy), it looks like it's pretty split between spiked_* and *_spikes. They should probably all be standardized one way or the other but i'm not sure which way is better

cloudpie said:
Looking at all the tags that imply spikes_(anatomy), it looks like it's pretty split between spiked_* and *_spikes. They should probably all be standardized one way or the other but i'm not sure which way is better

To be completely honest, the *_spike(s) variant feels better overall, but the spiked_*, or 'X'ed_* variant has a few advantages.

So, first the metrics; spikes_(anatomy) implicates the tag spikes. So, all included, spiked_* yields ~40k posts, *_spikes *_spike yields only ~17k. The tags listed in the spikes_(anatomy) wiki number 9 for spike(s), 6 for spiked with 8k and 11k posts between them, respectively.

Second, most tags are [object]_[subject] or [modifier]_[subject] based, and the subject in question should be as closely related to the "form"/being/creature as possible. "Spiked" is an object-verb, works as the modifier in a tag, and remains singular. On the other hand, "spike(s)" are the subject and tags are wont to be singular or plural—better for accurate descriptions—but spikes have their tag and what remains is how those spikes modify the being/creature.

Once again, a good example is spiked_tail and all the other alternate tags that were consolidated to one from tail_spikes, tail_spike, and spiky_tail; it is the most aliased "spikes" tag. Another example is chest_spike which needs chest_spikes if there are 2 or more; aliasing to spiked_chest would reduce the usage from two tags to one.

Third, putting the modifier before the subject groups similar tags together should a character have both spikes on their back and their tail.

—To the point where a character would have spikes all over their body, both spiked_body and body_spikes exist. In relation to point #2, body_spikes is almost another term for spikes_(anatomy) while spiked_body implies a body covered in spikes.