Player Activities & Events

[Natayah]

I'm so happy to hear one of your favorite things to work on ( besides nice lines in general), is that you are most proud of your Pygmy line, I really need to add some of the Breeding Projects and Forum Dicussions and Groups dedicated to Pygmy, TwoHead/Splits and Frames, I personally have heard and seen how dedicated the in game sprinters to them.But we gotta also support this beyond the initial release excitement and keep it going. I Would love to highlight some of the most active and popular of these groups. I would love to add you to the reference list, love to have some people come talk about their group, and plug it so more people can join in.

 

However, if you find a missing niche and would like to try and fill it,please tell us about any support,collaboration, advice and/or people you need to help out. I know some people are looking to also get involved in projects so don't be afraid to propose the idea. And if you don't want to do it alone, or at all due constraints, just post the idea and that others are free to run with it.

 

Finally being afraid to ask....I've said this before but let me reframe your perspective. Fear and rejection is real.One of the most amazing gifters I ever knew never really got over this. Try thinking from another perspective :

1. Some people spend years building lovely lines and they want to share them but no one ever asks and as time goes on they start having negative opinions about themselves and get depressed. To be able to share one thing validates them and makes them feel worthwhile. So you make them so happy when you ask!

2. Some people love to meet nice people on DC but are too shy to meet them. Swapping and gifting is how they meet people. When you request something, it's not just about the gift. It's also possibly the first step to potentially making a new friend, and possibly more people. If you have trouble with this, this a very safe way to start. I always suggest beyond requesting the egg, talk about why you like it. If they are a known breeder or gifter, talk about other things you've seen that you admire. No it's not stalking. Ask if they have any lineages they love to gift but people don't notice and would like to gift more. It's ok to ask for these too. Ask if you can touch base now and again. Besides you generally don't want a flood of eggs at one time. Ask if they have favorite resources and if they know people they can refer you to after giving them an idea of some of your goals. And you don't have to do this all in one PM. It's a conversation. If they don't, that's ok. They usually appreciate people asking for normal stuff and not rare expensive dragons in manipulative ways. And if I didn't mention it, also ask permission to speak with them occasionally in the future every once in awhile, ongoing contact is important.

3. Offer something in return if they would like. Some people are honor bound as they don't want anything for free. Tell them this. Usually a CB Hatchling or BSA is something easy and shows you are happy to do something in return as not to take advantage. Some people like me (until recently) really want nothing for many reasons, You could always offer to donate a Bsa hatching to someone in need to pay it forward.

 

Also send me a PM about *Correcting typo* pygmy lines when you aren't full and I've had 5 days to cool down breeding. Hope this helps.

 

And yes, I need to get updated banners but that needs to wait a week or so.And despite it being uncomfortable, once you become friendly with fellow gifters, you will wonder why you didn't

Edited July 26, 2016 by natayah

[gigglymonkey12]

The pygmy lineage is favorite because it's my first even lineage.

(I'm working on a 6g, but that's for the Anxiety Warrior lineage)

reference list?

 

starlight punt lines?

 

I remember the first time I gifted.

At first I was hesitant to let go of the line, but after I did...it became addicting.

 

I guess I'll try talking to some people...get out of my shell.

 

 

[Dirtytabs]

Usually, the only time I post anywhere is when I have something to contribute (transfer link, new information about a breed, etc.), so you're not alone.

 

Natayah, the Lovely Commons thread allows project-related gifting. It's about creating 4G double checkers, and they are indeed lovely. Players are happy to give away misbreeds and take requests for eggs from their lines. Perhaps it can go under Gifting Resources? I'm not part of the project, but I feel the folks there wouldn't mind a little promotion.

[Predat0rs]

Again, with my fear of rejection...I know natayah mentioned in her introduction paragraph that it is great when someone asks for an egg or something along those lines (I fear it is late and I am not truly articulate right now)...but I am always too scared to ask.

Even though their signature says that they would be glad to do so...

I wonder if there are other people who have that same struggle and how we can lessen the fear for them/me.

(I know that if someone asks me for an egg from a specific pair..I would, basically, bend over backwards to help them...but I still don't like asking others...)

I get this fear, too! I want to ask someone to breed something for me (a common/uncommon no doubt!) but I get a strong fear of rejection. I hate the feeling.

 

How do we get over it?

[gigglymonkey12]

I get this fear, too! I want to ask someone to breed something for me (a common/uncommon no doubt!) but I get a strong fear of rejection. I hate the feeling.

 

How do we get over it?

Same.

And I don't think I could ever ask for a prize.

 

and when they do accept...I always want to shower them with gifts as a thank you.

[Coyote]

Hey everyone!

 

I'm Coyote in most DC circles, Echo on my forum (link in my signature) and my scroll is lingspelien. Yeah, confusing, I know. Been through a couple of internet handles, and people who have known me a long time still call me 'Echo'. I've been playing DC for years and years. Anyway... enough about me.

 

Interesting new thread. Well, relatively new but I've been so busy moving I haven't been paying attention to DC as much as usual. Actually, I rarely find myself in the Discussion section.

 

I skimmed the majority of the posts prior to this one...

 

* I noticed Z Project listed in the 'Special Gift Projects' section so I had to say something about it. Plus, Natayah asked me to roll in and say 'hello' at the very least.

* I'm with Natayah on my love for shadow walkers. I wish I had more than just four CBs.

* I'm with Tecca - I used to be rather shy posting in the forums and actually rarely participate in discussions in general.

* I noticed Pinch of StarDust mentioned she gifted some Z eggs Thanks!

* As with so many people, I think this is a great idea for a thread too.

* I agree with harlequinraven - having my dragons' offspring named is very important for me. I have tons of dragons and manage to name them, so it always boggles me when someone can't.

* I agree with aqub - having the eggs killed is just awful and makes me said. Dying of neglect is even worse, I think, because at least if the egg is killed I can pretend it is just a vampire failure. By the way, nice job posting even if you're shy about writing.

* Yeah, Fuzzbucket - I have to say that the trading market is so hard and frustrating sometimes. I usually only go on to it if I see a Z egg for trade. Even then, some people put a higher market value on them because it IS a Z egg. Ugh -.-

* Like gigglymonkey I often toss really nice lineages into the AP on purpose. It is a fun and nicely anonymous way of gifting.

 

 

A little About Z Project

 

As lots of people around DC know, I'm the founder of Z Project. What started out as a personal project for me has become a 400+ page plus monster that always seems to have new members whenever I stop by to do work or say hello!

 

The requirements are simple. The members collect or gift any dragon whose code begins with 'z' or 'Z', and then the collectors named them according to the super easy guidelines.

 

A lot of DC players enjoy it because the guidelines are so easy to follow and are compatible with most other breeding / lineage / collection projects. It is apparently a very addicting project.

 

The community is friendly too. We encourage each other, gift eggs in the thread, find trades that have Z-eggs in them and post them in Z Project's thread. If you happen to come by, just to check it out, please feel free to mention how you found us! (this thread)

 

 

 

Individual Gifter List

 

Oh, and if there is going to be a list of individual 'Gifters', let me be the first to sign up. Like Natayah mentioned in her introductory post, not many people come to me and say 'hey could you breed me a xxx'? I find that I must hunt through Wish Lists and... then there is the awkwardness of taking the time to breed a somewhat complicated lineage as a surprise gift only to discover they already have it! I enjoy gifting people dragons that I can breed or easily catch. Helping with lineages is a lot of fun for me, part of what makes DC exciting. Even lineages I wouldn't usually breed. So, let me be the first to sign up and hopefully more people will tap into me as a resource for helping out. My scroll is kind of ridiculous so most of my dragons just sit there unloved, once they are named anyway...

 

 

Other Stuff

 

The Happy Birthday gifting thread seems a hard one to actually get a dragon. The last time I joined, I was only gifted one gift... and it turned out to be something that wasn't on my list due to a moderator mix up.

 

It is nice to see that the first post is updated so frequently! I know how hard that can be when you're the only one working on a thread.

 

 

The Fear of Rejection

 

So the hardest thing to get over seems to be the fear of asking someone for a gift. First of all, if they have the comment in their signature 'I gift / breed' or whatever it says, then they are open to being asked. That is a really good place to start. Threads that list that person as a gifter is another good way to ensure that they are 99% likely to say yes when you ask them. These two things should help eliviate some of the initial fear.

 

After that, just think about this - if someone asked you for a gift, how would you feel? If someone wrote to you and said, "Hello predatorfan4ever, would you be willing to breed me a 2nd gen white from a white and a lumina?" how would you feel? Would you be happy because someone was asking politely to be gifted? Excited that it is an easy to bring a little joy into someone else's life?

 

However you would feel about the matter, the next time you go to ask someone to breed you a gift - think about how you would feel. It is quite likely that is how they will feel too!

 

 

 

Thanks for reading, hopefully this wasn't too long a post for some people.

 

Peace.

 

 

[Natayah]

@gigglemonkey - Sorry about the stunt whatever lineage typo, tablet night and autocorrect. I meant pygmy lines.

 

@Tabs - Perfect Thread, So many people love it (not just new but experienced older players too it was a really great gem from the people who created it) so it was added. (Heck, I know people who love specifically trading for these sorts of lines and this Project). BTW in case it wasn't cleared, I retyped some of my earlier verbiage in a prior post cuz when I re-read it sounded odd, so I fixed that. Thanks for your great art.

 

@Coyote - I've talked to you (I'm going to include your darling wife in with that you cuz I really consider you two a team and a pair even though I know you have different scrolls and such, you do so much great work together) over the years and know you are so super busy with other stuff. I appreciate you stopping by and posting and your Z'Project is Awesome and that is why it is so loved.

 

Below is not meant to be a "Double Post." It is an essay unto itself that I feel is important enough to be on its own and not part of a quick response post.

Edited July 26, 2016 by natayah

[Natayah]

Ok.... How to Interact with People and Socially Communicate (virtually and IRL Sometimes)

 

Background on Me: I'm a Gen X'er Cusp, but really more of a Gen X married to a Boomer. I also get that people are shy and/or socially awkward and/or suffer social anxiety. But the numbers of those diagnosis soared in the Generation after mine. I'm a first born, and on the Meyers Brigg or whatever version of 4 letter personality quiz, I shift between a pretty close 50/50 Extrovert Introvert. Which means I can socialize when I need to and/or want to. But generally more and more I wish people would go away. I have (I hope) successfully gotten rid of my last "Irl Buddy" locally to me (who was really just a pain), but I understand I must rebuild my social network because it isn't just because it's healthy. It's a matter of life or death. It's about being able to make money and survive. It's about having people when you need them. If you aren't able to communicate or have great fear, you will not make it in this world. I don't know how to sugarcoat that any. So if whatever you have you can try to start working out by interacting with people in simple ways in a safe medium online helps you build things or work on things irl, I'd use this game's communication avenues as a way to get on that.

 

If that isn't your issue, and it's because of other reasons, let me offer a few suggestions on approaches I would take. Because the more you do it the easier it becomes. (An aside: I'm not a person who has any issue practicing conversations or situations I might not be comfortable with in front of a mirror over and over in as many different ways. I did this as a teenager and found it very helpful. Or playing them out in my head beforehand.)

 

1. Sending PMs to people who have "less" than you do: By this, I mean, if you send a PM to someone who is newer, has less dragons, whatever, they are less scary because in a sense, you are coming from a position of greater power. They are less likely to tell you to bugger off or do things you feel that could "hurt" you. A lot of the newer players posting intro threads are nice people to say hi to in their thread or sending them a PM to welcome to the game and let them know you are glad to help and ask if they need help with anything in particular or if they would like any additional questions or help to send you a PM in return and you are glad to help where you can. Now this isn't something everyone should do to everyone who posts in the intro thread. Otherwise these poor people will have floods of PMs. But if you notice people who seem excited about the thread, state they want to make new friends, mention they love something they have in common with you, have an avatar or pictures that you know, these are good people to communicate with.

 

2. Consider the "risks" of communication with people: There are some people who are older players, very busy, very rich and don't have a lot of time to bother unless you are a good friend of theirs for years. These are not people you should generally reach out to. However, most of the player base doesn't fit this bill. So for most normal players, what is the WORST thing that could happen? If they use foul demeaning language you can report them to an admin and get them a warning if they really go that far. But worst case let's just say they respond "I think you are a waste of my time never talk to me again." MOST people aren't going to do that, but even if they do, what is the worst thing that happens to you? You go and cry and feel really upset for awhile? (I hope that is the worst, look, we all get hurt sometimes, but that shouldn't stop you from going on with life. It is ok to get hurt though.) But that will eventually pass and generally, you are going to find out that people are really nice. Also, you will find that maybe they don't have time to chat all the time or aren't interested in chatting all the time or whatever you had in mind, but they are nice about it. Most people are really nice here. So the real risk is that you will either have a very nice interaction that will be short term or possibly longer term that could lead to good friends and/or meeting other good friends. Here are some things that you can do to make it a "good" exchange:

 

- Look for people who have similar interests: Do you post in the same forums a lot? Do they have some avatars/sigs/gifs or mentions of hobbies or loves or likes that you have? A lot of people have a lot of great info in their sigs and profiles. Read them! Read some of their past posts and see if this is someone who might enjoy things you like. Heck, there are a lot of people who put things like "I love the following things.... I would love to chat!"... I don't know how much more clear they could be that they would LOVE to talk and exchange conversation! I am hoping we get some more interest in the DC Chat/IRC again in the near future because that is also a super easy way that is no pressure on talking and chatting and meeting people.

 

- Share and recommend things: Other than finding out you have things in common (whether than are fan things, love for certain lineages or dragons, favorite music, books, whatever) you can share your love of this, but you can also look for things they might like that they may not know about yet. I know some of you are fans of Tab's artwork. How does everyone not know about this awesomeness yet still amazes me. And I know new people discover it all the time. Or maybe there is a new interesting movie or song you discovered. New breeding projects, some new exciting dragon you got and want to know if they want an offspring, or some rumor you've heard... the possibilities are endless. And for me, a lot of things that I have in common with people is my love of lovely lineages, spriters alts lines, special lines, fun projects, or whatever. So it tends to revolve around the game because I never really got the whole "fan" thing but MOST of you are fans of MANY things. If anything, I would use this and since people love sharing what they love, use this since so many of you love the same things. (Let me rephrase that in that when I was a child I LOVED horses, and I did LOVE Fringe a lot, and I have just recently have "discovered" and LOVE Critical Role.... but that is not something I want to discuss on DC). And a lot of that sharing will be gifting and swapping eggs.

 

3. But I am still afraid to ask for Gifts: I've talked about this a bit earlier. So I'll dive a little deeper. If someone posts they want to Gift or Take Gift Requests, it is because they WANT or are WILLING to be contacted about Gifting. Just read their sig and profile, understand and follow any rules they may have, be polite and nice and don't try to be manipulate or sneaky, and you are fine. If anything, so many people tell me how sad and depressed and heart-broken they are that no one ever requests gifts from them and they take it personally as if they somehow suck as a person and get depressed about it and gifting is sometimes the only reason they play and if they never get anyone who asks for gifts or mentions they like their lines, they eventually just get so sad and lose their joy in this game and want to quit. Seriously. That Serious. And multiple several people. It isn't always that bad, but it often is. Or it starts to feel that way over time or certain days. Seriously. If this the only true joy some people find, why would you NOT want to contact them and make their day and talk to them about their dragons and see what happens? Most people aren't looking for "Gimme Egg, Go Away" requests. They sometimes have rules or things they like, but not because they are rule crazies. It is usually because naming their dragons gives them joy. Or sometimes they have stories about special things. Have a conversation, even if it is just a question or two. And sometimes people really just want to give a gift and move on. But again, asking them for advise or other questions about how they do what they do and what they love and if there is anything you can do in return (hatchlings are often a better offer than eggs because of space reasons) makes all the difference in someone's reaction that you are not just being greedy but are a nice person and appreciate their time. Kindness makes all the difference. And a lot of people like Please and Thank you very much.

 

4. Practice with your friends. If you still cannot bring yourself to send a PM, find a good friend of yours and ask them to pretend they are someone who doesn't know you and play a "pretend" game of asking for eggs or starting a conversation and have them "pretend" to be the other person with different reactions. This may sound silly or stupid but it does get easier the more you do it. So sometimes playing pretend is helpful. Or just pretend you are the Queen of England and are a super star and you are super famous thus sending a communication, you are at least their equal. And if they give a mean or stupid response, then it doesn't matter because you are sooo busy anyway and they were obviously not worth your time. Or whatever works for you.

 

5. Join Fun Games and Groups and other Social Things in the meantime. Not only will you naturally meet other people and have to communicate with them (forum games, gifting groups, breeding groups, various other game/prize things, etc), you will probably find people you really really do like that way too and will communicate with outside of the specific thread. And if there is someone really awesome you know, you can always ask if they know anyone else who enjoys xyz or knows anyone who does abc. And when you have the chance and think you know two people who might really benefit from talking to each other, introduce them. Maybe they will hit it off, maybe they won't. But usually they both appreciate that you took the time to care enough to think of them enough to care.

 

6. Treat all people as potential awesome friends. Don't be mean to people. Think and ask what can you do for them. They are not your Gold Mine (unless they specifically state they would rather be this, some people would just rather load you up and get nothing in return cuz they have everything they want - just go with it and appreciate it.). Treat them as people, people you like, and they will treat you the same. Positive energy that flows out will always return to you.

 

7. I'm still afraid - I don't know what to say other than it's a survival skill we all need. Keep at it. There are lots of discussion groups in General Discussion you might also like and help support you. And if it is still crippling... seek outside or irl support as much as you can. There are specific forums and sites dedicated to much better advice than I or anyone in this game could ever get. A Dragon Collection game won't cure it. And some well meaning advice here could actually hurt it. Go to places that have real experience with this.

Hope that Helps!

Edited July 26, 2016 by natayah

[Natayah]

Not a Triple Post: This is separated from the long Essay I wrote on Communication for those Hesitant and want to topic to be separate.

 

Some Questions To Help Me With the Development of This Thread:

 

1. Do you use the Resource List? How Often? Do you Share or Refer Others to it? I just want to know if it is used. Some things are used without people posting that they use it, but I need to know if it is used so there are no issues with me keeping this thread alive. Are there Other Resources I can add to it, or Resource Sections (Breeding already in works!!)

I am going to be adding a Breeding Projects Section, and Hopefully, A list of Individual people Who Love to Gift (probably gonna have to link a google doc for that one). Tell me if you want to this!

 

2. If you want to be more involved with player events and fun but aren't sure where to start, (especially if you are coming due to a referral from another thread or friend), please post! You can list what you would like to do, but it is not necessary. Just saying "I'd like to help with something!" will help us find your best fit or give you a list of options to choose from. And if something inspires you and you want to strike out on your own (with or without others) or only help now and again, anything is fine and appreciated!

 

3. Is there a particular piece of advice you would like to see shared on any topic(s) here? Is there any particular group, event, person, etc you would like to see share info here? If you don't want to post it directly you can PM me and let me know, OR you can PM that person and share this thread link and see if they would be willing to post anything.

 

4. I'd love feedback. Especially to Shorten the Thread Title. Or anything else. I am happy to reward good advice with more than just thank yous. I take this seriously, and if you do too, I am happy to reward and honor that with my own version of a thank you.

 

Thanks for anything else you want to add~

Edited July 26, 2016 by natayah

[StormBirdRising]

My favorite ways to gift are by pm and in the Departures thread. Everyone loves the hatchies in that thread so I try to always gift hatchies in there.

 

I have received some awesome gifts from Departures and by pm also. I know that the players who receive my gifts feel as good as I did when I received mine. That's why I like to gift.

[gigglymonkey12]

I like your previous post.

I find myself shy though when meeting new people. I do fine once I'm introduced to someone, but I do find myself contemplating, for maybe some time, before I approach someone else.

Fortunately, I don't have a problem with approaching someone else, but the minute that I want to ask for something or anything like that...it's hard.

 

I do agree that the most that someone could do to you, if they don't want to breed something for you, would be to reject you and because you are separated from that person via the beautiful internet...there is little they could do to you physically.

(yes you can throw a little pity party after being rejected...but I would just move on because I'm sure there are other amazing breeders who would be willing to help out).

 

I like how you had a "title" for each paragraph and that it was bolded.

 

I like your advise.

I hope that since there were multiple people who also expressed a fear of asking or tried to soothe "my" nerves by saying how asking isn't too bad that it would help me come out of my shell.

 

@Coyote...I also like how you put the fear of rejection into perspective.

 

----

 

I found out about this thread after finding out about some of the resources listed.

But I did find myself checking out some of the resources listed (birthday gifting for example).

I think the resource list is pretty nice.

It provides an overview of the gifting resources available without having to click on every single thread.

 

I would love to have a breeding project section.

and a list of gifters who wouldn't mind donating.

 

-----

 

My eloquence is lacking in this huge monster paragraph I've written, but I hope everyone understood....

Edited July 26, 2016 by gigglymonkey12

[silver_tiger]

Hey all, I'm silver_chan on the forums and my scroll is kitty_knitter. I've technically been a player since 2009, but my current scroll was created in 2015 after I did a bonehead move /cough. Anyway!

 

I do enjoy gifting, and I really need to do more breeding to drop things in the AP--in particular, I need to do more breeding of BSA dragons, people always like those.

 

I keep on meaning to do more breeding in general, but it's so hard to find the time in between work and my other hobbies, heh... but I plan to try harder to do this in the future, or at the very least breeding my Red alphabet. The best part about those is they're all named; I find it very hard to name my dragons, due to a combination of lack of time and lack of imagination, and I know most people out there seem to prefer named dragons.

 

Other things I do include gifting away any dino eggs I happen to catch, because I don't collect them but catching them is a fun sort of challenge to me (I haven't caught one or even seen one in several months at this point, however...), and once I start to reach my scroll goals I'll probably start gifting away any other rare-ish dragons I happen to catch.

 

On the flip side, I really enjoy fishing in the AP for checker lineages! So thank you anyone who drops their checkers in there. I have a whole lineage based around checkers I find in the AP and that people gift me, I also need to work on that lol but just collecting checkers is very fun for me. It just gives me a wonderful feeling to find yet another combination of dragons I never would have thought to try, or that I couldn't try because I only have one CB Silver and no CB Golds, for example.

 

Honestly I'm a little too much of an introvert or shy or something to just gift random people, but I enjoy checking my offspring to see if someone picked them up/they're getting views.

 

...anyway, I hope this is a good intro, I kind of just rambled for a while, lol.

[Natayah]

Thank you for the brave souls who are willing to admit they are shy or anxious or nervous or whatever in whatever circumstance, and post anyway, and talk about their love for gifting and such. I hope that not you will reach out to each other, but that others will also reach out to you as well. If you cannot PM people (be it for gifting requests, first contact, etc.), simply making a post in this thread (it can be a short quick post) and admitting your shy and/or unease will allow others to contact you if you are afraid or uncomfortable in certain circumstances to do so.

 

Everyone, please open our arms to all the wonderful people. And especially people who are brave enough to say they have trouble making first contact. Go ahead and contact them and see what happens. I tend to find with all Gifting People, it's not so much about asking for a dragon or giving a dragon. After awhile, you get so used to gifting and giving back and forth, I prefer to call it swapping. Because it's really not about "You Give me This, I give you that." There is so much back and forth, and it is a real relationship of respect, it's not really "trading", it is "Sharing and swapping".

 

So if you are uncomfortable, you can make a post saying so and that you'd really still like to ask for gifts and gift yourself, and we'll make it happen and grow the love. Thank you for being willing to admit it, because I know so many of us our painfully shy or hate asking for things without feeling we should have something in return to offer. Your Kindness is really the greatest gift you give this game and player base. And this is what brings about the greatness that keeps this game going!

 

And don't worry about if your intro is good enough. Just tell us a little bit about yourself and that is all that we need. Leave the overly long winded stuff to me. We need less of that so we don't scare people away!

Edited July 27, 2016 by natayah

[Fuzzbucket]

I get this fear, too! I want to ask someone to breed something for me (a common/uncommon no doubt!) but I get a strong fear of rejection. I hate the feeling.

 

How do we get over it?

You read sigs, and if they say "I breed for free" - we who have that in our sigs MEAN it. PM. (but not now; I'm locked )

 

Sure it can happen that - say - the next egg from xyz pair is already promised, but except for people who ask for about 5 eggs a day (yes it has happened - and then I found out they were being used as trade fodder ) I don't flat out refuse.

Edited July 26, 2016 by fuzzbucket

[Lagie]

Kindness makes all the difference. And a lot of people like Please and Thank you very much.

This. 100000000000+ times this. Politeness will get you a very long way in life.

I'm happy to receive PMs about eggs but if you haven't said please anywhere in that PM, you won't be receiving anything from me. (Same in the shop I run - if you're polite in your haggling, you'll get a better deal!

[Fiona]

I don't know why I didn't notice this thread earlier.

 

Hi. I'm Fiona BlueFire, but most usually called Fiona or Fi. Many of you are going to know who I am because I'm one of the in-cave sprite artists. Spirit Wards, Coppers and Shadow Walkers are all not only my sprite work (shared work) but also my concepts.

 

Not as well known is the fact that I started the Even Gens threads with Dragonwolf, way back in the day. Dragonwolf has long since gone inactive but I'm still around, still modding the even gens threads. I love that so much gifting goes on there.

 

I'm not as active in the breeding threads as I used to be, but still do some. I'm here every day anyway, prowling around. I just don't post as much and do much less breeding.

 

My current favorite way to gift is to notice someone's signature. If I can get the egg they want I send it to them. No strings. My personal philosophy is that if a gift has strings it isn't a gift. When you gift something to someone it is theirs so you no longer have any say over what happens to it. I don't have a problem with other people having other philosophy but that is mine.

 

-I should mention on the "strings" thing... sometimes I accept things that have the stipulation that they be named. I try hard to remember to name the thing as soon as it hatches. Otherwise I'll probably forget. I long since gave up trying to name everything because it got to be too much. However, if I breed something for someone and the parents aren't named or if I've taken someone's gift and forgotten to name as requested a polite PM will remedy that. I don't object to filling those requests, I just have too many unnamed dragons to ever catch up.

 

I don't really open my scroll for breeding requests from the public. I got rather bombarded early on and decided not to open to that. However, those who know me also know they can ask any time. Hopefully they know that if they are trying to trade for something awesome and don't quite have what it takes to get it they can ask me for 2nd gens from my spriter alt Shadow Walkers and I'll breed them to sweeten the pot. So, yes, go ahead and use my gifts as trade fodder. I kind of like knowing if you're doing that but don't have to. Regifting? Sure. Especially if you tell me why. Because sometimes I hear awesome things like "my best friend absolutely loves Shadow Walkers and I want to give this to her to celebrate the <special event/overcoming trying circumstance/whatever>" Got something like that in mind? Ask and I'll fulfill it if I can. I'm not a huge fan of people asking for special lineage dragons so they can bite or neglect it, but whatever. If it's on your scroll and not mine it's yours to do what you want.

 

I also occasionally breed 2nd gens from my alts to the AP Because I Can. Those have most usually been 2nd gen Spirit Wards because I think everyone should LOVE those. (Yes, I know not everyone does love them. lol) Besides, Shadow Walkers and Spirit Wards look awesome together, in my not so humble opinion.

 

I don't keep gifting lists for my alts. I tried that for awhile and it just got difficult. So, there's no "list" to get on for 2nd gens from them. If someone wants an egg they can always ask. If they do they should be clear if they're asking for a gift or a trade. I have loose guidelines for trades. If you're vague I'll probably assume you're asking for a trade and give you the guidelines. If you really were asking about a gift that would probably scare you off. CB Coppers after all don't grow on trees.

[ewi]

Spirit Wards, Coppers and Shadow Walkers are all not only my sprite work (shared work) but also my concepts.

 

Wow, Fiona, I feel so silly to admit it, but I had no idea that you are an author of ALL of my favourite dragons I simply love their 'auras'. A very late 'thank you for the awesome sprites!' from me

 

It's amazing to read about all you guys, it's great to know that my problems aren't only mine, and that even the oldest players are sometimes too shy to ask or that they really want to be asked for something. Gifting is hard sometimes But I honestly think that dragons are for sharing, that pretty lineages are being created to conquer as many scrolls as it is possible. Those little gifts you make, they make people smile. Keep up the good work folks. And be proud, you are lovely, kind and pretty. Yes, yes, you too

[Natayah]

I'm really glad to see all the various discussion of all things here. I am also hoping that this convo will help people with shyness, anxiety or other issues (broad or narrow related) with being willing to converse. Because one of the basic cores of community building and participation is be able to interact and be willing to interact. And "Gifting" (be it dragon, talents, help, time, etc.) is usually one of the core aspects of any Group, Event, or even Individual Interactions are often based around Gifting.

 

So if the easiest way to get some of this started is to get people more comfortable with asking and interacting, that is the best place to start. Please feel free to continue to to discuss and help with that.

 

However, if some of you are also looking to kick off some player run events or group yourselves, please consider a few of the following ideas: (Especially as we seem a Little Low for August)

1. Breeding Events (sometimes Called Massbreedings but with a focused theme and/or small group of breeds)

2. Finding some favorite groups (gifting, breeding, etc) or games (prize winning, fun participation, or just favorite forum games) and consider getting involved, see if there is anything you can do to help and/or donate, and remember that sig space is valuable space so listing groups/threads/resources you recommend with links is a great way to advertise and people will use them. You can also share word of mouth to those who might be able to use it as a resource. And you can come talk about them here or have a Group Official person come post here too.

3. Run a Lotto/Raffle: Yes, this is a type of Event and Gifting. However, these are especially lots of fun. If you want to do it but aren't sure where to begin, ask for help! Or if you need donations or volunteers, we can help with that too!

4. Get a Bit More Involved with the Forum and/or DC Chat in General: There are tons of forum games, lots of places to share comments, and if you find something particularly fun or special, be sure to consider adding links to your sig and/or sharing it with others!

5.Share Your Talents and YOU: Make Art? Take Photos? Write Poetry/Stories? Other Talents? Share them with Us! We have an entire Original Works Thread, plus lots of other art contests that go on. People love to see art, even if you are just starting off. And if you are talented at something, you can always trade art or crafts or other things for other stuff in ways that are in line with the ToS. Also, some people like sharing their photos, stories, ways to contact via chat or other games, so feel free to reach out and share whatever it is you want to share beyond dragons in this game!

6. We are a game of people. Don't be afraid to interact with people other than forum posts! If someone seems really interesting, or is doing something you enjoy, offering to gift, or seems like a cool person with a shared interest, say hello in some way. You never know what interesting people you will meet. A lot of people who are active on the forums are known, but not everyone. And making an inviting welcoming place is a great way to also help increase activity. And if not activity directly, at least appreciation and love.

 

Aside from getting some upcoming player run events up and running as we need to encourage this as I have nothing to put on my calendar other than Clya's Awesome Raffles and telling you to go check out already existing ongoing Forum Groups, A friend of mine shared a way they overcame some of their anxiety about asking people for gifts. So I posted it to hopefully help from a person who has been there. Also I tend to find that usually the people most shy or anxious about asking for gifts are really some of the most amazing caring gifters and wonderful players. Like Always~!

 

(My Summary of Their Words): While it FELT very worrying, scary and anxious, they also applied some logic and shushed their feeling side down for a bit. To repeat many previous posts, people who post that they LOVE or WANT to gift generally are Excited to hear from you and WANT go share their lovely dragons - usually for nothing in return no matter how much you might insist. So they used logic to figure out that these people more than likely WANTED to be contacted and how great they would feel about someone asking for a gift of their dragons. And even though it was uncomfortable, they used logic over the emotion and did it anyway. They also were active in various Gifting Threads and would firstly choose to PM people active or posting in the same threads so they felt more comfortable that they shared something and had more common ground with these people. (Most people who post in Gifting Threads are super super nice too!) And over time, they were able to do it a bit easier. It wasn't always easy, but it did become easier with time. Please know these people are wanting to share with you. Sometimes you just need to open your heart and allow yourself to receive the gift of sharing and kindness and love! We talk about sharing with the world, but if no one is ever there to open themselves to receive these gifts, what is the point of sharing? We need to both share and be open. This is how things become wonderful.

Edited July 27, 2016 by natayah

[Natayah]

Greetings, Due to a few people saying they would be willing, I will be creating a "List of Individual Gifters" in my Reference Post that will Link to some Google Doc that will have basic info that the individual gifters can update as they like. If you would like to be on this list when it launches, just post something in the thread. I will track you down via PM later when I feel like doing that. If someone would like to help me with this (by mostly setting up a very simple spreadsheet via Google Docs) so I get it done sooner rather than later, I would give you credit and be willing to give you thanks (like dragons) for your time and effort.

I'm gonna be honest here. I love Google Docs because they make life so much easier. But I hate making them some times unless I'm up at 4AM with a strange buzzing need to accomplish something crazy.

 

If you are a Gifter, please do not feel ANY pressure to sign up for this list. And once you're on it you can remove yourself anytime you like, no pressure. However, it would be nice for people who are seeking active gifters to have a single place to go pull up a list and know which gifters would best fit their needs for what and that they respect any rules or quirks various gifters may have.

 

Thanks for your interest! And if you just wanna post in a single thread with that info and never update anything else again, or only have people refer to your sig if they see it - 100% respect! Thanks for being great people!

Edited July 27, 2016 by natayah

[Gryphonic]

I'm chiming in to agree with what Natayah and others have said - Many players are happy to share their projects! It's very gratifying to know someone's taken an interest in what we do. I am usually shy about PMing directly to ask for bred dragons myself as well, but I have never been told 'no'. And I have never said 'no,' nor do I expect to.

 

 

[Predat0rs]

I'll start with introducing myself. This is the DCaholics meeting, right?

 

Hi, guys! I'm predatorfan4ever, but feel free to shorten it to PF4E (or any other way that makes saying my name easier)! My scroll name is predat0rs (that's a zero btw) so if you ever wanna check it out, go right ahead! I'm a 21 year young woman from the US. I've been playing DC for 6 years now. I love being here on the Forums. The community is so awesome!

 

I admit: I was scared at first to answer your questions, natayah! You are right, you DO post huge blocks of text! Sometimes it's difficult for me to stay focused on huge tasks! But I'm here, after a few days, willing to give my insight and such.

 

I want to first address the fact that you're making a list of people who can be PM'd about gifts! That's a wonderful idea! I'm glad you're making it. It will definitely help shy people like me come forth and ask for stuff. Though I still won't be greedy and wouldn't be using gifts as trade fodder. Why would people do that?

You read sigs, and if they say "I breed for free" - we who have that in our sigs MEAN it. PM. (but not now; I'm locked    )

 

Sure it can happen that - say - the next egg from xyz pair is already promised, but except for people who ask for about 5 eggs a day (yes it has happened - and then I found out they were being used as trade fodder  ) I don't flat out refuse.

Like this right here. I would NEVER do such a terrible thing! If I ask for a gift, it's not because I want to trade it! It's because I might need it for a lineage, or because I like the lineage someone else has created. I wouldn't be so selfish as to trade things gifted to me.

 

That brings up another whole can of worms. I'm starting to really dislike the Departures thread. Half of the gifts, there's no "Thank you," -- they're just sniped. Another thing regarding the Departures thread is people like to TRADE gifts from there. I once gifted a CB Chrono hatchling only for the person to try and trade it. I didn't put any "rules" on the gift, but some people don't even listen to the rules. In their mind, "It's mine now - I can do whatever I want with it!" Maybe I should just stop dropping things there. Hmm.

 

After that, just think about this - if someone asked you for a gift, how would you feel? If someone wrote to you and said, "Hello predatorfan4ever, would you be willing to breed me a 2nd gen white from a white and a lumina?" how would you feel? Would you be happy because someone was asking politely to be gifted? Excited that it is an easy to bring a little joy into someone else's life?

 

However you would feel about the matter, the next time you go to ask someone to breed you a gift - think about how you would feel. It is quite likely that is how they will feel too!

You're right. I'd be ecstatic of someone wanted a gift from me! I'd feel soooo good about myself. I already have had one person come forward and ask for a gift and I felt so... nice! We both were very happy, I'd say!

 

I'm going to breakdown your essay kind of, natayah. That way I can give input a little better, in my opinion

 

1. Sending PMs to people who have "less" than you do:

I'm guilty as ever of doing this. I'll see a new-ish player who still has what I'm after, and ask them politely if they will breed for me. Newer players can be easy to communicate with that I've noticed as well. I seem to have better luck making friends who are new than friends with "older" players.

 

2. Consider the "risks" of communication with people:

I know the risks, and it scares the bageezuz out of me! I tend to "Track" my messages, and when a message goes read for a week with no response, it gives me a sense of hate. Not that I hate them, but that they must hate me, or something. Deep down I hope that they just haven't had a chance to write back, or real life stuff has come up and they can't get on. Something that doesn't equal, "Oh, I dislike predatorfan4ever so I'm not going to write back!" When people DO write back, though, it is all positive so far! I haven't had one rude message since beginning my journey here on the DC Forums. I haven't had a single message that was considered hostile.

 

I'm more than willing to talk to people and try and find common ground. I'd love to chat with someone! I feel lonely at times, even though I hang around the Forums a lot. Maybe I should strike a conversation with someone. I can't always be in my shell!

 

If someone posts they want to Gift or Take Gift Requests, it is because they WANT or are WILLING to be contacted about Gifting.

YES, THANK YOU FOR REASSURING ME! Because of you, natayah, and this thread, I've gotten a little more courage in me. I'm planning on asking for a gift from someone soon. Someone that isn't a newbie, either! Someone a lot of people recognize around the forums. They take breeding requests so I'm gonna ask. The worst they can do is say "No." I'm getting better at not being afraid! Thanks, people! I'll be as polite as I can. I usually am, though. I hope I make their day! It would be very sad to see someone lose interest in the game because they want to gift and no one asks them.

 

Do you use the Resource List? How Often? Do you Share or Refer Others to it?

Yes, I use the Resource List! I've actually found a couple threads I have never seen before on there! It was great finding them! I haven't referred anyone, yet, but I might start doing that! This thread you have is a very nice one and I think more people should join in!

 

All-in-all natayah, I think what you've posted here is AMAZING work! Your huge blocks of text are without a reason. They help people, like me! They are great for conversation and great for this thread. I think a lot of people are going to be coming out of their shells with your statements. I know I'm getting a lot better at being less of a scaredy cat. Thank you natayah for what you've done here, and thank you to everyone else who has given their input and ideas here!

 

 

 

I'm going to do some self(ish)less promoting. I started a Raffle page a while ago, and it has really gone to...not a nice place. I'd like to revamp it somehow and make it so others enjoy the raffle. If I do do a raffle, there's not many participants (even if it's a rare egg!). I wouldn't mind some suggestions on how to make it better. I'd even love to have some helpers as well!

[gigglymonkey12]

@predatorfan4ever

I was going to quote you, but then this chunk of text would have been huge...

considering how I like to randomly tab down...

 

What is the name of your raffle group?

and where is it located? (Forum Games? Trading?)

 

I wouldn't mind helping out.

Usually I'm lurking all over the forums...without anything to do.

 

Is your raffles like Clya's?

or is it more like Vhale's?

 

If it's like Clya's I would love to donate an egg.

(I know...I still haven't donated to Clya's though because I always seem to miss the deadline.)

 

----

I feel like the Departures thread is a hit or miss.

I love that it provides newer players a way to get nicer things without having to pm someone (I agree...messaging an older/more established player is intimidating...especially if you don't think you have anything that you could offer them in return.)

I know that I got a lot of good stuff that thread.

 

For me, in the beginning, I would ask to know where the egg I was giving (on the thread) was going...but after several occasion of people just taking them without saying anything...I just stopped asking.

 

I do agree that it's sad that someone takes the gift and uses it to trade.

 

I hope you don't stop dropping things in there.

I think that thread has more good than bad.

[Predat0rs]

@predatorfan4ever

I was going to quote you, but then this chunk of text would have been huge...

considering how I like to randomly tab down...

 

What is the name of your raffle group?

and where is it located? (Forum Games? Trading?)

 

I wouldn't mind helping out.

Usually I'm lurking all over the forums...without anything to do.

 

Is your raffles like Clya's?

or is it more like Vhale's?

 

If it's like Clya's I would love to donate an egg.

(I know...I still haven't donated to Clya's though because I always seem to miss the deadline.)

 

My thread is located here for reference. I wanted it to be put in Trading, but it probably would not have taken off! It's in Forum games, but it gets buried when inactive.

 

At first, I was doing ALL of the gifts. Catching rares such as Almandines, Spessartines, Coppers, etc. I started taking donations shortly after Clya's Raffle seemed to be a huge success and mine was... dying. I used to have a lot more activity going on with it, but it seems all but dead. It would be great if you, and maybe a couple others, could help out with it. I plan on making the front page over again by revamping it. New graphics, new text, all that jumbo. I'll take any suggestions people have, and any critiques as well.

 

Donations are ALWAYS accepted and I'll usually raffle off them as quickly as possible so no one is hanging onto anything for more than a day. I don't want to bother people with hanging onto things, especially if there's more than a couple donations and I have no scroll space.

 

I feel like the Departures thread is a hit or miss.

I love that it provides newer players a way to get nicer things without having to pm someone (I agree...messaging an older/more established player is intimidating...especially if you don't think you have anything that you could offer them in return.)

I know that I got a lot of good stuff that thread.

 

For me, in the beginning, I would ask to know where the egg I was giving (on the thread) was going...but after several occasion of people just taking them without saying anything...I just stopped asking.

 

I do agree that it's sad that someone takes the gift and uses it to trade.

 

I hope you don't stop dropping things in there.

I think that thread has more good than bad.

I probably won't stop giving in there. I'm a sucker for gifting. I like my lines being liked enough to be taken. I just wish there was a little more "Thanks" and less sniping. But, that'll never happen. I guess I'll learn to live with it. I like gifting there, besides the couple bad apples. It's fun, too!

[gigglymonkey12]

My thread is located here for reference. I wanted it to be put in Trading, but it probably would not have taken off! It's in Forum games, but it gets buried when inactive.

 

At first, I was doing ALL of the gifts. Catching rares such as Almandines, Spessartines, Coppers, etc. I started taking donations shortly after Clya's Raffle seemed to be a huge success and mine was... dying. I used to have a lot more activity going on with it, but it seems all but dead. It would be great if you, and maybe a couple others, could help out with it. I plan on making the front page over again by revamping it. New graphics, new text, all that jumbo. I'll take any suggestions people have, and any critiques as well.

 

Donations are ALWAYS accepted and I'll usually raffle off them as quickly as possible so no one is hanging onto anything for more than a day. I don't want to bother people with hanging onto things, especially if there's more than a couple donations and I have no scroll space.

okay dokies

Please let me know what I can do specifically to help out.

 

Heheheh

This thread is showing me another event/raffle that I didn't know about before.

I love this thread for that.

[Clya]

I just realized I never really posted here, huh, I did do the poll though a while ago.

 

So hiya everyone! I'm Clya, a few of you might already know me as "that super enthusiastic Golden Wyvern who does those raffle things and can't seem to stay on schedule".

 

My favorite way to gift would be my Raffles, and while most of the things I don't actually breed or catch myself (I try though, but 21 slots of space isn't enough!), but I like sending the little delivery and seeing so many people excited as to when the next raffle is going to occur. I use Google Docs to run everything, so except for when it decides to bite me in the rear end and screw me over it helps keep everything running smoothly. For smaller events (like Predator's Raffles), it's more work than necessary, but for me it's almost a requirement.

 

I also like to gift via Glomp Gifting by stumbling upon signatures or just Free Breeding in general. A LONG time ago, on EATW and in my sig I offered to breed anything off my scroll for free. That then evolved into Departure Thread, Glomp Gifting and then finally my Raffles.

 

I LOVE Breeding Events! Participating in them, Organizing them... the works! I think it was February (???) I did a Cancer Awareness Breeding event, in which we turned the AP Purple and filled it with tiny little Magelight candles. And I picked up lots of pretty lineages from there, even a few CB ones (coincidental? Maybe.)

 

I feel that the "Safest" way to request a gift, without fear of upsetting someone, or bugging some one etc. is the Breeding Gifitng Thread, I love it so much! I love helping through it too.

 

I don't like gifting much on the Departures Thread anymore, I'll say something simple like "tell me where it goes" or "name please", and I'll get the exact opposite. If you don't want to post there I'd certainly be fine with a message! It irks me because it's just p-o-l-i-t-e to respond to their wishes.

 

 

~~~~

 

Whoo that got long, and I delete a paragraph or two because I started to talk about other topics

 

If it's Okay with Natayah, I'd like to post here whenever I have Donations open for my raffle so that people here can gift without actual confrontation