hmm,, not gonna @ and im not trying to be rude but "fanmade spinoffs" are just slightly changed copies of original things. i agree that people should be able to make what they want without fear of it accidentally looking like something else by another person, but intentionally making a "fanmade spin off" just to get around the rules and things you dont like about the species is kinda a dick move :>
closed species are still a form of art and can be very dear to people. and bashing the younger artists for not being 100% original is kind of like making fun of somebody for having sparkle dogs. originality is also subjective in some cases
creation is hard and many people wont take kindly to people referencing/copying/making fan works of things they may have worked very hard to come up with.
honestly people give original species so much shit on this thread, much more than they deserve, its like people freaking out about mary sue characters all over again
with the logic of "i should be able to make something like yours without your permission as long as i change a few things" then all of the countless finding nemo ripoffs are amazing and morally correct
maybe im overreacting but excusing intentionally making a ripoff for your own use as a "fan made spinoff" does not sit right with me.
if the original creator has a problem with it, please dont do it. its just that simple and easy to be a decent person