Post by J-Bry on May 21, 2010 17:18:42 GMT -5
Okay, confession time. How many of you have made a character before, let's say it was an Arabian, and said it was 16.2hh? It's okay, no one's gonna knock on you for it. I did once, when I had just started role playing. We're all newbies at some point, and we all need help. (It's just the Mary Sue newbies who can't take criticism that we can't stand!)
So that's why we have the Help Desk, for the willing-to-learn newbies! First lesson:
Features!
Horses are beautiful. The way they look, how they move; it's all put together by their conformation. A horse's build is what bases its movement. When you think about it, a horse's gait is his own, unique to not only his breed but himself. No two strides are alike, so what I'm getting at is, ie; an Arabian is not a Friesian in terms of strength, endurance, gait, or size.
Think about it. An Arabian is small, with thin bones and more curves. High-arched neck, dished in face, high-set tail. A Friesian is stockier, heavier, and has more muscles. Longer face, larger hooves, thicker mane and tail.
When you try to put two and two together by saying that your ArabianxFriesian crossbreed character runs like an Arabian and is thicker and looks like a Friesian... it just doesn't work. Let me shamelessly steal a leaf from a WolfQuest idea and give you an example:
When making your character, think of a three-lever balance.
One lever is labeled "Speed," the next lever is labeled "Strength," and the last lever is labeled "Endurance." Stay with me here!
Now, pretend you're sliding the tab on the Speed lever up. You'll notice (hypothetically) that the Endurance tab comes up as well, but the Strength tab decreases. Now, pretend you're sliding the Strength tab up, and you'll see that the Endurance tab goes down slower than the Speed tab does, but it still goes down. Picture this: your character has more strength than it does speed or endurance, so it will be larger and a bit slower than most of the other characters. If it is faster, it will have a bit more endurance and be smaller than a character who is strong.
It's confusing, yes, but after you get it and understand what I'm trying to say, you'll have it down-pat in no time.
Oh, and don't make a 17hh mustang. Look up some heights before you go making mutant, freakishly large characters.
So that's why we have the Help Desk, for the willing-to-learn newbies! First lesson:
Features!
Horses are beautiful. The way they look, how they move; it's all put together by their conformation. A horse's build is what bases its movement. When you think about it, a horse's gait is his own, unique to not only his breed but himself. No two strides are alike, so what I'm getting at is, ie; an Arabian is not a Friesian in terms of strength, endurance, gait, or size.
Think about it. An Arabian is small, with thin bones and more curves. High-arched neck, dished in face, high-set tail. A Friesian is stockier, heavier, and has more muscles. Longer face, larger hooves, thicker mane and tail.
When you try to put two and two together by saying that your ArabianxFriesian crossbreed character runs like an Arabian and is thicker and looks like a Friesian... it just doesn't work. Let me shamelessly steal a leaf from a WolfQuest idea and give you an example:
When making your character, think of a three-lever balance.
One lever is labeled "Speed," the next lever is labeled "Strength," and the last lever is labeled "Endurance." Stay with me here!
Now, pretend you're sliding the tab on the Speed lever up. You'll notice (hypothetically) that the Endurance tab comes up as well, but the Strength tab decreases. Now, pretend you're sliding the Strength tab up, and you'll see that the Endurance tab goes down slower than the Speed tab does, but it still goes down. Picture this: your character has more strength than it does speed or endurance, so it will be larger and a bit slower than most of the other characters. If it is faster, it will have a bit more endurance and be smaller than a character who is strong.
It's confusing, yes, but after you get it and understand what I'm trying to say, you'll have it down-pat in no time.
Oh, and don't make a 17hh mustang. Look up some heights before you go making mutant, freakishly large characters.