The breeding oath

[SoraNoRyu]

*adds banner to sig*

 

I think you accidentally added me twice, though... *points at first post*

[randomname]

Responsible breeder...of computer codes attached to images in an online egg stealing and dragon breeding game. Hmmm...no such thing. I enjoy breeding and seeing who gets them and what happens to them. Since I add eggs and dragons to the game for others to get, I'm a good player who is contributing to the health and welfare of the site. Responsible vs. irresponsible, selfish vs. unselfish--these just don't factor in at all. It's a game with no flesh and blood creatures involved.

[pinkgothic]

I'd take this oath, but I disagree with "I will not breed when the AP is full and I can't keep the result of the breeding." since I never understood the caveborn>bred rationale (and not for lack of trying on part of the people who think that way, either). I feel taking that oath would detract from my oath to try and skew the AP in favour of rarer breeds, since holding off on breeding isn't going to do that.

 

So, not taking.

 

Doing basically everything else, though, and always have.

 

(Yes, yes, you're welcome to clobber me dead. It's not going to change my mind, though.)

 

Also, have a fun little anecdote: A while ago, in a time when the AP was full of whites, I wanted to breed a red for my scroll, only having one at the time, and bred with a white (ran out of other breeding partners, both in that session and in general, since other pairings hadn't resulted in anything and I wanted to try something new). I hadn't gotten a four egg clutch in forever (only single or none), so I thought I was either going to get 1 red (preferred) or 1 white (meh, but not catastrophic - I'd have kept it).

 

That one? Went white, white, white, red. I'm sure you can imagine how much I facepalmed. I was in the unofficial IRC room at the time and went and apologised. It really was incredibly bad luck, though, all things considered.

[CastleKeep]

I do all of this anyway so *takes oath* and adds banner to siggy

[beachbeagle]

Responsible breeder...of computer codes attached to images in an online egg stealing and dragon breeding game. Hmmm...no such thing. I enjoy breeding and seeing who gets them and what happens to them. Since I add eggs and dragons to the game for others to get, I'm a good player who is contributing to the health and welfare of the site. Responsible vs. irresponsible, selfish vs. unselfish--these just don't factor in at all. It's a game with no flesh and blood creatures involved.

Meh.... As much as I am one who agrees with the idea of realizing that they are pixels and thus there are so many problems people have with things on the site that are just not so important, I feel like I should have some standards that will keep people semi-happy, sort of a compromise that I agree to and the other side will need to live with. In this case, I was going to do everything that is on this list anyways (now that it has been edited) so I figured why not take the oath and make it official?

[RoseRed]

You can add me to the list if you like, though I don't have room for the banner in my siggy. Though I am not actually a breeder. I have my scroll pretty much the way I want it, and anything else I grab off the AP. The last two times I did breed were for golds and silvers, and that was to deliberately abandon any gold eggs to the AP.

 

I have nothing against people who want to breed how they like, though, in most instances. It's just another way to play the game. The only times I do object are when certain cave drops are expected (such as holidays or the upcoming Springs) and a full AP would cause issues there.

[Selina_Catz]

It's on the one hand a bit of an awareness campaign for those who don't pay attention to these things and on the other hand it's protection for when people start attacking the breeders about full AP's and wall's of greens, whites, etc.

I'm not going to yell at you, pinkgothic, a large part of why I'm doing this is so people will stop yelling at breeders in general.

Edited March 29, 2009 by Selina_Catz

[Stripey]

I'm not going to take the oath at all. I play the game how I want to play it and breed when and what I want to breed. I have and will participate in mass breeds of various types when I feel like it. Also, if I want to breed all of my dragons in a row, I will.

 

For all of those taking the oath, good for you, that's the way you want to play. I won't say anything bad about it.

[tjekan]

Responsible breeder...of computer codes attached to images in an online egg stealing and dragon breeding game. Hmmm...no such thing.

True enough, "irresponsible breeder" makes me think of puppy mills, or of people who refuse to spay their cats and then drown the kittens in burlap bags.

 

I think "considerate breeder" is what the OP was really trying to get at. :-)

[randomname]

Meh.... As much as I am one who agrees with the idea of realizing that they are pixels and thus there are so many problems people have with things on the site that are just not so important, I feel like I should have some standards that will keep people semi-happy, sort of a compromise that I agree to and the other side will need to live with. In this case, I was going to do everything that is on this list anyways (now that it has been edited) so I figured why not take the oath and make it official?

I can see your point of view. I don't really mean "they are only pixels" to mean they are unimportant. I enjoy my scroll--especially naming, breeding, and creating lineages. I just don't like seeing "responsible" and "selfish" thrown around. I find the title of the thread to be overly dramatic and might respond better to an appeal to the logic of the game rather than the morality of it all when the whole point is to steal eggs. Also, because the vast majority of folks don't participate in the forums, an oath like this seems like a drop in the bucket. Still...with the site down for more than a week now, threads like these are all we've got!

[pinkgothic]

In this case, I was going to do everything that is on this list anyways (now that it has been edited) so I figured why not take the oath and make it official?

 

I think randomname's point is that by calling yourselves "responsible breeders", you're implying people who haven't taken the oath aren't responsible. It's not a far stretch to consider "irresponsible breeder" an insult.

 

Personally, I'm not bothered, but I have seen something much like this happen in a Vampire MMORPG I used to play before. People in it came up with an "Honour Code" that if they were taken down to 0 blood they would take a period of rest from any battling, since the game itself didn't penalise you for it, and it definitely slashed right through the community there (went from being a personal choice to people throwing around "dishonourable" at people who were playing it differently, regardless what other sensible codes they were adhering to) - so I understand the general concern.

 

I don't really see something that negative happening here, mind you.

 

Edit: Argh. Ninja'ed.

Edited March 29, 2009 by pinkgothic

[tjekan]

Still...with the site down for more than a week now, threads like these are all we've got!

QFT! I've *never* been so active on the forums before, I'm sure it won't last... :-D

[beachbeagle]

I think randomname's point is that by calling yourselves "responsible breeders", you're implying people who haven't taken the oath aren't responsible. It's not a far stretch to consider "irresponsible breeder" an insult.

 

Personally, I'm not bothered, but I have seen something much like this happen in a Vampire MMORPG I used to play before. People in it came up with an "Honour Code" that if they were taken down to 0 blood they would take a period of rest from any battling, since the game itself didn't penalise you for it, and it definitely slashed right through the community there (went from being a personal choice to people throwing around "dishonourable" at people who were playing it differently, regardless what other sensible codes they were adhering to) - so I understand the general concern.

 

I don't really see something that negative happening here, mind you.

 

Edit: Argh. Ninja'ed.

Yeah. I can understand that. Personally I can agree with it too.

 

My Opinion:

This is cool so long as people don't go overboard with it and my personal opinion is that it's not wrong of someone to not take this oath because they don't agree with it or don't want to play the game that way. I admit the name is misleading. All that being said, so long as this doesn't get thrown around in a negative way I'll keep the banner in my sig, and I'll play by it either way.

Edited March 29, 2009 by beachbeagle

[Selina_Catz]

Changed the first post to make it clear that I certainly don't advocate anyone yelling that people who don't take the oath aren't playing nice.

 

Okay I just want something to be known:

There will be no yelling to people who don't wish to take the oath: this is a game and it is my opinion that there is more than enough yelling and drama here.

 

The oath is meant in a large part as a defence against those people who feel the need to start yelling about selfish and irresponsible breeders every time the AP is full or half of the eggs in the AP are the same breed.

[Dakki]

I breed when I want to, but I do breed my silvers and alts when I can to give to the community.

 

 

I don't go out of my way, though, clogged cave or not. It'll get picked up eventually. Good job to those who do, though. n_nb

[DivineQueenYeiweh]

I only really breed my silvers, and they're mostly to try to gift to other people. I have one gold but she only wants to breed once in a while

 

and most of the other ones I breed I keep if I don't gift o.O

[pinkgothic]

Changed the first post to make it clear that I certainly don't advocate anyone yelling that people who don't take the oath aren't playing nice.

 

Whoo. You rock.

 

(BTW, I'm struggling with a wording for my sigline reference to this thread. I want it to be funny, I don't want to invite people to criticise here. Do you think that comes across? If not, I'll just ditch it.)

[Selina_Catz]

I think it's fine, pinkgothic.

 

DivineQueenYeiweh, do you want to be added to the list?

[cyrell]

I will not participate in massbreeds

 

 

Welll...i will not participate in unnecessary massbreeds...like massbreeding mints or other greens at st patty or such a thing.

 

But i think massbreeds of silvers, geodes, golds and splits are there to give the new members and the one who are not so fast, a chance to get one of the not so common breeds.

 

If there is a massbreed it is much easier to get such an egg.

 

But i think in some time(months up to a year) splits and geode mass breeds are no longer usefull...

 

 

Maybe the rule can be changed?

 

Like..i will not participate in massbreeds of commons or breed with less than 7 days befor a special day(valentine/christmas) where new/special dragons will be released/breedable.

 

I for myself will keep my scroll clean to gather eggs and hatchies that will be abandoned at such special days...like at st patty...not just adopt a mint but anything that needs a home.

 

 

And always keep an eye on the eggs that left my scroll to help with ER´s

[anahana]

Add me to the list! I took the oath before there was an "official" oath to take. I've been opposed to mass breedings as a bad idea from the very beginning.

[Bluheart]

In the beginning I bred all of my dragons. Then I came to understand how the clogging happens and I stopped. Now the only time I breed is when I'm trying for a specific type of egg. I finally came to be what I feel is a responsible breeder.

 

Yes, there can be different definitions of responsible. The definition is in the mind of the breeder I suppose.

[Selina_Catz]

cyrell, I have said earlier in the thread that it's my believe that any massbreed will lead to a lot of opposition, so I will not change that part.

 

Anahana, you've been added.

[dragonsoup]

I'm not going to take the oath at all. I play the game how I want to play it and breed when and what I want to breed. I have and will participate in mass breeds of various types when I feel like it. Also, if I want to breed all of my dragons in a row, I will.

 

For all of those taking the oath, good for you, that's the way you want to play. I won't say anything bad about it.

Agree

 

too many people want everyone to play by their rules. I will play by the official rules and the official rules only.

 

[Buggzter]

I put myself and my daughter on this. My niece doesn't breed at all. And I think if she ever does it will only be CB dragons that breed.

 

Becca and I only breed what we're trying to get. I USED to breed more, but that was when the AP didn't have very many dragons on it (before the first mass breed). I also make sure that if I breed I breed dragons that don't give me more than one or two eggs usually and I make sure that the AP isn't full (otherwise I wait or we grab from the AP for Becca).

 

Good list to have, so people can think about it. Although, since so many people are not on the forum, they might not understand what happens with the clogged AP or that we don't NEED more bred eggs of certain breeds occasionally...

 

EDIT: Just a thought - what about making this a list of "Suggested Breeding Ethics/Guidelines to Help DC for Everyone" but emphasize SUGGESTED and make a footnote saying it's just suggested as something that can help everyone but is NOT a rule or what is expected or mandatory or you-are-an-evil-person-if-you-don't-do-this labeling...

 

What I'm thinking to have on the FAQ or the Dragcave for Dummies (maybe?) would be something like, "Here are some suggested breeding guidelines to help the abandoned page not be overrun. These will help keep everything running more smoothly in all areas of the public cave. If you follow these, you will help make sure the AP is not full of eggs that will take awhile to be chosen, which in turn will help allow the cave drops to occur at their scheduled times for the other players. It is not manditory, breaking these rules does not make you a bad person or someone who is not liked on DC, but there are suggestions for you to use to help improve the site's use for everyone. Thank you for reading and considering the following guidelines."

 

Yeah, I know it's super duper long, but I'm just thinking that might help the NEW players do this so as there is a better chance of the newbies to help us with this, too. Again - making sure it's emphasized that it is a SUGGESTION list, not a list of things we will hate you for if you break them. There ARE people who want to play other ways than the "main" population does, and that's not a problem.

 

Example - I don't care if dragons are inbred. I do it a LOT. Actually, most of my geodes are SEVERLY inbred (one has the mother as the grandma AND great grandma, and I think the father is also the grandfather or something...). Many people don't like it, but I don't care. I also don't care about "killing" or letting dragons die - not a big deal to me - if something happens, it happens. Same about freezing others' bred dragons, and about not naming dragons. I play my own way. I don't mind.

 

I'm just suggesting that this might help other people understand about how these things would help the community as a whole, although it's not a law and we won't hate you for not following them.

Edited March 29, 2009 by Buggzter

[Nectaris]

EDIT: Just a thought - what about making this a list of "Suggested Breeding Ethics/Guidelines to Help DC for Everyone" but emphasize SUGGESTED and make a footnote saying it's just suggested as something that can help everyone but is NOT a rule or what is expected or mandatory or you-are-an-evil-person-if-you-don't-do-this labeling...

Apologies, but I disagree. No matter what disclaimer you put on there, it will still make going against the "Suggestions" seem like rule breaking. Especially if it is stickied or written by a mod. It is not hard to notice the page being blocked and know that breeding is what caused it. If people really wanted to, they would stop it on their own, but they don't. The fact is, is with the low number of eggs it takes to block the page, even a few people breeding only for themselves can block the cave.

 

As for the oath, I pretty much go by it anyways, but I refuse to take it. I don't like these kind of user-imposed rules at all and the implications that come to you if you chose not to follow them, whether the person who made them meant them or not.

 

(Edited for spelling)

Edited March 29, 2009 by Nectaris