Neglected Dragons

[dragongrrl]

But then how do you deal with the other cruel things that the game entails, like trading your dragons' children away, or leaving them outside of a cave to die, or giving those vulnerable little eggs to vampires?

Putting that little eggie on the auction block? When I think about it that way...

 

It's not real life, so I don't want to think about it that way.

 

And I really love the ND sprites, too. That's another reason why I must!

[Riverwillows]

This is just my opinion, m'kay?

 

But I think some people are SERIOUSLY overthinking this.

 

It is just a GAME!!

 

 

 

[skauble]

This is just my opinion, m'kay?

 

But I think some people are SERIOUSLY overthinking this.

 

It  is    just    a    GAME!! 

Goodness knows I've left a trail of shells and tiny tombstones in my wake (I even have a scroll marker for them lol), but I think that putting more thought into a game than is strictly necessary can be fun, too. I've absolutely loved some of the, ultimately, pointless debates we've had around here about dragon traits, tendencies, etc.

 

I think that the problem here wasn't really the over-thinking as much as it's the kind of accusatory tone of the original question - especially in light of the fact that other, far more mundane, aspects of the game can be just as questionable. Honestly, I think that if the "shame on you" flavor was left out it would be an interesting question to discuss - How does the Neglected dragon fit into your in game universe?

 

Because I'm the first to admit that I've hovered over various eggs and hatchlings over the years. When I regained the power of speech, I screamed like no one's business when I caught my first Holly. These pixels get names, personalities, and families from us, so a lot of us are really invested in the part of this game that involves world creation.

 

I think that, given that, it would be interesting to hear whether people who try/make Neglecteds have an in game rationale that they use (which I think that some do, considering some of the discriptions I've read), or if it's kind of separate from that part. Do people include the process (for example the many egg shells) in the ongoing storyline, or do they only insert a Neglected once it survives?

 

This forum has a lot of interesting topics we almost get to discuss.

[RainbowChris]

My only problem with NDs lies in the fact that while probably most of us are very aware of how wrong it would be to do that to any real living thing, there is always that small chance of the concept influencing someone otherwise.

 

Of course I am aware that this is a very unlikely and uncommon possibility, I am simply putting my two cents in because I was actually discussing this topic with someone earlier today

 

I don't know what the youngest users of DC may be so I don't know how much it applies, but in younger children especially the idea of neglecting an animal to make it "better" or "more cool" or whatever can stick in their heads and eventually come out in the real world with a real animal.

 

Yes indeed, the ND itself is only a bunch of pixels. That isn't the problem, if it were just a rare egg that would be found in the cave every once in awhile, neglected by it's mother for whatever reason, this wouldn't even be worthy of discussion. It's the concept of the way they are made that is cause for concern. At least from my standpoint on it, but I guess that sort of thing is what comes from a psychologist-like point of view like mine.

[prrgcg]

the creator included ND's in this game and were created/coded the way they meant to be and on how to get one, so no harm at all

 

if were are talking about neglecteds then (not the actual dragon itself) just look how clogged the AP is....

[dragongrrl]

...These pixels get names, personalities, and families from us, so a lot of us are really invested in the part of this game that involves world creation.

 

I think that, given that, it would be interesting to hear whether people who try/make Neglecteds have an in game rationale that they use (which I think that some do, considering some of the discriptions I've read), or if it's kind of separate from that part.  Do people include the process (for example the many egg shells) in the ongoing storyline, or do they only insert a Neglected once it survives?

 

This forum has a lot of interesting topics we almost get to discuss.

I definitely have a story line for mine, and for future NDs on my scroll. My first three have a bit of a mystery about their appearances in the community, and the story will be added to as my collection grows. Each one does have a distinct personality and way of dealing with what they went through. I have not had many dead eggs from the process, though (3 or 4) as most of my experiments have hatched normal, so I haven't thought about writing shells into the stories. Hmmm.

 

Unlike my frozens and my Zombies, my NDs have all been CB. My vamps are a mix, CB and lineaged. I do tell stories about how they got separated from their families with some of the AP lineages on the Vamps, Zombies and frozens.

 

As far as children in the cave, my niece was here for several months last year, at 12 years old. She had a collection of Vamps, and had some silly, spooky fun with them. She isn't playing now as she has no computer access (her parents are Ludites, lol) but I don't see where there was any cross-over into real life with the Vamps. She is a voracious reader, LOTR, Harry Potter, etc., and these have sequences at least as difficult as the idea of creating the Neglecteds. The most important thing is talking with our kids about these issues.

 

Edited for a minor grammar-fail.

Edited February 7, 2012 by dragongrrl

[Req]

It is troubling to me when "end game" is virtual animal abuse.

It is troubling to me that people think this is an issue on any level.

 

Some of the discussions here baffle me

[numb3rs]

I have 10 9 (one have just vanished) dead exp eggs at the bottom of my scroll

everytime I custom sort a new dead exp egg to the bottom, I feel kinda guilty

but when I get a success one, I was like "Who cares, totally worth it!"

 

I think making ND is a lot more fun than hunting the cave, i'd prefer feeling my heart skips a beat when watching my egg is in it's last seconds than sitting, yawning, pressing F5 in a biome that nearly never move

Edited February 7, 2012 by numb3rs

[Windnose]

When I first started playing, I wouldn't even freeze a hatchling because I felt so bad for the little pixel dragons.

But now, pretty much anything goes for me. I freeze, sometimes breed for the sole purpose of trading, experiment, zombify, bite, and abandon to my hearts desire now. (Is it odd that I still see my dragons as being perfectly happy in my care? O.o)

Though, if this was real life, there's no way I'd do any of those things. (However, it would be slightly tempting to freeze a little white hatchling. >w< So adorable!!!) What I do one this game and what I do in real life are completely different stories, luckily.

 

I guess my mind set now is that it doesn't really matter because they are just pixels and this is just a game. I think, eventually, I will start to mentally re-add my dragon's feeling and emotions. But for now, I just want a ND.

[kerrikins]

*shrugs* Idk, when there are games out there that promote outright slaughter of other people along with promoting sexism and all that other fun stuff, I think that neglecting is rather tame in comparison

 

It's a game. It's not really a reflection of what people are like offline, imo.

[numb3rs]

Another way to look at it is this:

 

TJ is GOD!! If "GOD" says ok to make ND, then it is good. He punishes the mistreatment of eggs by 24 hour scroll-locking, and month-long shameful imaage displays of such on your scroll.

 

But "GOD" says it is ok to make ND's, and Inbreed. Therefore, it is good and just.

 

(giggle fit).

this,

this is the punishment, it lock your scroll with fogged eggs for 7 days (or 6 if use incubate), decorate your scroll with dead eggs

 

it is very odd that ND needs a lot more care than any dragons to make

[Shajana]

They are Pixels I don`t have problems to experiment with some eggs, I just don`t like to do it with lineaged eggs I got from the AP.

[Pixxelation]

If you're scared of Neglecting, don't do it. Nobody is forcing you to collect certain breeds of dragons.

[AlternateMew]

Some of the arguments are scary.

 

Guys, playing Assassin's Creed doesn't mean you're going to go about killing people.

Playing Oblivion or Skyrim and being in the thieves' guild doesn't mean you're going to go in a robbing spree in real life.

 

Neglecting dragons doesn't make people animal abusers.

 

There is a clear line between RL and fiction. Many of my favorite characters in books and such are dark, dangerous people. In RL I'd rook for a hero any time, and spit on criminals, but reading books, I find heroes to be enormously cliché and boring.

 

-snip-

 

Acting a certain way in a game doesn't mean you're going to act that way in RL. It just means the game allows you certain acts, and you do them because it's a game, a way to free yourself from RL, relax and enjoy. Nothing else.

QFT on these.

 

Also, the "GOD sayz OK!" post just reminded me of something. As far as I've seen, the most coveted dragons on DC are NDs, Hollies, and GoNs. Hollies are like NDs - you can get people trading their first-borns for them. But while you have to put TLC into an ND, a holly is simple as breeding it in season. For GoNs, having trios summon for months or even years seems to have spawned disdain for them. Aren't the GoN's basically the dragon gods of DC? So by the time one gets a GoN, they go "Finally! I hate your guts for making me wait so long!" by the time one makes an ND, it's more of a "Omgomgomg I did it I made one YAY!" Am I capturing that right? Becaus if I am, the feeling of getting an ND is better than that of getting the equivalent of Arceus *ahem* I mean Lugia. A.K.A. a deity. An "I love you" versus an "I hate you". (Personally, I decided that I didn't care about the GoN right after I learned that they were so hard to get. But NDs made me want them. <*-*>)

 

Er- no offense to the GoN spriter/s.I'm just repeating from what I've seen.

 

Do people include the process (for example the many egg shells) in the ongoing storyline, or do they only insert a Neglected once it survives?

Yes I do, actually. Using the Aperature motto, to boot. Humans are curious creatures, so of course some of us would get word of this mysterious hidden potential of eggs and try it ourselves. I take runts from the collective Wild dragon habitats or use eggs bred by equally curious - and in at least one case - slightly sadistic parents. And besides - if wild dragons toss runts out for us humans, why not domestic dragons as well? Especially the runts from our runts (haha), think they'd really care? Our dragons naturally don't give a crap about lineages and inbreeding and chucking unwanted eggs like the human keepers do. *gets funny mental image of a dragon mommy laying a runt egg and tossing it to the human "Bah. Another runt. You take the useless thing, I dun want it."*

Edited February 7, 2012 by AlternateMew

[Darkella]

I really want to have one./ Then I see a scroll with two different gendered and frozen hatchlings I think that those people are lucky. But I think I'll definetely fail to obtain my own=(

[Shadlok]

I really want to have one./ Then I see a scroll with two different gendered and frozen hatchlings I think that those people are lucky. But I think I'll definetely fail to obtain my own=(

Those people aren't lucky.

 

I have 26 Neglected Dragons to date, and I've worked hard to make every single one and beared the 6 day lock.

[ShorahNagi]

I have no trouble with Neglected Dragons - I personally feel they are better than Zombie Dragons [remember, Zombie dragons were once happy and living dragons that we killed, then brought back with failed magic] as the dragon used still has a chance at life.

 

About the only trouble I have with Neglected Dragons - actually getting one! '~'

Edited July 14, 2013 by ShorahNagi

[angelicdragonpuppy]

I do feel a bit guilty about what goes into making them, pixels or not, but at the end of the day I want the sprite more than I emphasize with the pixels, haha. Plus, I tend to give my dragons stories, so I usually make it out like some evil cult or tyrant created them rather than myself doing it. X'D

 

(Although it is rather funny that one of the cave's rarest dragons comes from doing exactly the opposite of what you're supposed to do in the game, haha!)

 

 

[Aquenee]

If this were realistic, as in if I was the caretaker of real, live dragons rather than pixels, then yes, I may have something against the production of Neglecteds. Same for EQ, biting, zombies, etc.

 

But, it's not. I am completely comfortable if not proud of my fictional ND.

[Keileon]

I remember back when NDs were intended as a punishment.

 

However since then the sprites are just so beautiful that they're a reward <3

[Misha]

I've traded for two of them and happy I did. I see no problem challenging pixels with death a possible after product to create something. I'd be a hypocrite if I did as I have over 400 vampire dragons and have killed scores of eggs trying to create more vamps and have created zombies over the last few years too. I guess if a player regards them as their "pets" they might feel an emotional attachment but I've never seen them that way only what plans I have for getting the kind of scroll and dragons I want on it.

Edited July 14, 2013 by Misha

[Windy]

They are just pixels and it's fun experimenting with them. They are one of the most exciting dragons on the site.

[Becka]

I am happy that they are their and enjoy making them.

 

I wonder wether against-neglecteds-arguementers are vegan? Cause if not it might me worth a thought to start non-violence with real animals....

[r0botmind]

If it's in the game to begin with, then it's there to play around with. These are just pixels to me in my collection game, so I don't mind dragons being neglected, bitten, or killed.

[dustpuppy]

Looking at it from the "pretending they are real" perspective... if they were created by just neglecting them, I'm not sure if I would. But as it is I carefully select an egg, incubate it (which is a kind of caring for an egg), fog it (which is a way of protecting an egg), watch it, think about it, make sure it gets all it needs before it is too late... none of my other eggs get that much care, I just stick them in a hatchery and that's it.

 

I have no problems with making Vampires either, because I see it less as hurting the egg and more as feeding the dragon biting the egg.