[Quinsta] Should I?

[Silvanon]

I'm considering all of the above as possibilities for Quinsta on off-breeding-season months.  Some of the above options would keep things as they are.  Some would rather change things.  If I offered customs, things like whether new genes could be introduced to a breed, or whether a new breed could be requested, would probably be dependent on price.  Anyways, since some of the above options would change things I wanted to see what the community opinion was on them.

[toffeeca]

I really like that some genes can only be gotten through breeding and I think a big part of Quinsta would be lost if anyone could just buy whatever they were wanting. Maybe if you offered customs you can only request what has already been bred into the breed? I just think there would be a lot lost by everything being able to be gotten immediately through customs.

[Alnaeyah]

I agree with Toffeeca, being able to just order a custom with a new gene would take away the challenge in getting them.

[Silvanon]

*nods*  If I did do customs, I certainly could restrict it to just genes already in the breed.  (If I did allow new gene introduction, I was thinking of the price being $100+ ... ridiculously expensive so it wouldn't be abused too much.)

[springacres]

Yeah, I'm with toffeeca and Alnaeyah on the new gene thing, and for the same reason.

[toffeeca]

Can I ask, if customs are implemented, what kind of custom prices you were thinking for a custom that didn't introduce new genes? And would customs be for both SG and USD (if thats how the voting goes)? Or would the SG just be for premades? And if you do customs for SG, would you be able to buy a custom with a new gene for SG? Or would that be purely USD?

Sorry for all the questions, I just thought they would be helpful answers to have in helping some people decide. Although I will say that knowing new gene introduction customs being $100+ does make me feel a lot better. I just think that a lot of people have started breeding projects and being able to have customs of whatever would make all the projects kinda a waste. Anyways, thank you for putting this up for a vote so that we can discuss it Silv

[red_uni387]

Honestly, i love the fact that you HAVE to breed to get what you want. sure it makes it so much harder to get your 'dream' horse, but then it's even more special!

i like both auctions and flatsales, and i'd also love to see flaffles so people who aren't on the same time as you have a chance

and i'm a bit biased on the SG/USD portion because i have no way to send USD, but i would absolutely hate it if you made it USD only D;

[Silvanon]

Ok, let's see if I can manage an answer to all those questions toffeeca.  XD

If I do end up doing customs, I still want them to be pretty rare, I'd probably offer 1 to 3 every other month or so (or every half year?  dunno...).  If I did flatsale USD customs, probably in the range of $50 or so for one without new genes introduced (still very debatable whether a new-genes option would be available at all, and of course the option of customs itself is still up for debate).  But really that's just a shot in the dark number, I think what I'd really do is offer a couple for auction the first month and see where the majority of the community seem to end up valuing them and use that as a flatsale price guide should I sell customs in flatsales.  Within an auction, I'd probably start bidding at $5, and if bidding didn't go beyond that then they'd sell for that (new genes option wouldn't be available unless the auctions hit that $100+ mark, if they're available at all).

If the community wants both USD and SG and wants customs, then I'd make sure to include at least one that could be bought with SG.  Truth is the impetus for even considering customs is that I'm rather poor and I'd love a little RL money to play with.  XD  But I don't want to ruin Quinsta for you all over my silly whims, hence the poll.  But from what I see in the trade forums at least some people seem like they'd pay USD for premades, so customs aren't a must there, anyways.

I already sell premades for SG, and give them away too, and I don't plan to change that fact, so there'll always be that for sure.

[Keilin Alyr]

Much as I love the idea of general customs (and I agree with the above posters that introducing wholly new genes into breeds via USD in place of breeding seems counter-productive to the spirit of the adoptable), I'd worry we'd see a huge influx of appaloosa, cream, roan, and other popular yet rare/uncommon traits if a large number of customs were introduced. This could lead to those traits being heavily devalued.

On the other hand, customs could be a much-needed SG sink, I'm love to financially support our beautiful equine artist, and such a system could free up more complex breeding project slots for people who are also looking for simpler colorations like solid coats or silver dapple/flaxen traits.

If custom slots with highly desirable traits were made available, I'd vote to either make them extremely limited supply or limit how often one individual user could acquire a custom slot, perhaps one every other custom cycle, at least until it could be gauged how customs affect breeding seasons.

I don't know, maybe I'm being overly paranoid, but I've seen rather innocent changes and introductions completely throw established adoptions. I'd just want to keep an eye on how things progress over the following seasons. =)

[Winged]

I think the idea of customs would be nice, so we can get mimics of special RL horses and the like. However, i think it should still be hard to get the currently rare genes. So they don't become undervalued.
I don't have much time just now, i'll come on later and make a more consise post

[Ravvana]

On the other hand, customs could be a much-needed SG sink, I'm love to financially support our beautiful equine artist, and such a system could free up more complex breeding project slots for people who are also looking for simpler colorations like solid coats or silver dapple/flaxen traits.

This is why I would like customs. Rather than trying season after season to get this star, and this snip, and those socks once I start working toward my Sean mimic, I'd rather work on more intricate projects. Same goes with Colby, or my main non-RL horse adoptable mimic, TJ (horse that plays Hidalgo). I'd definitely say no to introducing new genes via customs, but solids or established modifiers/markings would be totally fine with me.

If customs are shot down, in regard to breeding horse mimics, I'd love the option to show reference photos for markings -- as long as we breed the markings there ourselves. For instance, if I breed a horse with a star and a snip, it is extremely unlikely that this horse would randomly have Sean's funky big diamond star and lopsided snip. So if my foal's description is "Bay, star, snip, two hind socks," I'd really like the chance to turn that bred horse into the ideal Sean by giving you a ref. photo. I can see how that could be abused, but it would be wonderful for those aiming for RL horse mimics should customs not be permitted.

[YourLoveOnly]

I would LOVE to get my four horse characters so I defenitely want customs (although I don't think I could afford $50 O.o I am saving that kind of cash for when/if you ever offer handdrawn Paints again.. I must have those! XD). I personally can spend USD, but I know plenty of people who can't so I would like SG to be an option too to keep it fair for everyone. Like you said, perhaps 1 SG and 2 USD slots or something. I understand real money is wanted XD

I voted "Do Just Auctions" mainly because I dislike the normal speed flatsale. If you do a normal speed flatsale I would really prefer if the time was announced at least half a day upfront so people who really want to be there can try to make sure they are there. I did really like the flatsale you did where there was only claim allowed per hour, that was useful for different timezones. I also like the previously mentioned suggestion of a flaffle where people can enter for the premades they are interested in and a winner is randomly determined. This would eliminate all factors like timezones and computer speed, so that seems like a nice thing ^^

[BabyKittenCandy]

While I adore the idea of customs, like the others, I agree it would take a lil of the excitement out of breeding suprises.

I guess the main reason I would love customs is being in a different time zone to many people, I have often missed some of the flatsales/give aways.

I think all the things you have said about limiting customs to things already bred and making it very pricey to get things not seen yet is a great plan. Maybe you could also make it so that if people got a custom one time around, they couldnt then get one for a round or two, to give all a chance, if you were only opening 1-3 a month? Just ideas, I dont wanna be shot!

Those are my thoughts for now...

[Kahlira]

Didn't I read somewhere that there wouldn't be customs? I'm sort of against that in a way, because in real life, you can't really order what you want horse wise either. Oh you can scour the internet or go out horse shopping forever, but in the end, you'll never have your perfection. I love how things are going now XD Though auctions and flatsales are seriously making my head go *squee* right now. Might be the fact that I just ate a swiss roll XD But anyways, yeah, you should totally do USD sales, why should it just be everyone else benifitting from your hard work? And another thing, an odd point, yeah, throw in the SG for the people who don't have USd to spare (The economy is really tight right now, no matter how much they say the recession is over.)

Re-reading this, I do hope some valid points have been made. Because well, I haven't been awake long. *grins*

[Pinkshadow]

Well im both for and against customs, i agree with the points above and i can also understand what Kadana are saying ..

I would prefer premades and hmm new races ? :p
- and thats even tho i dont get the point of genes and how to breed a dun or a roan horse xD

[Solistia]

I think the big draw of Quinsta is the fact that it's all based around the breeding and that you can't nessecarilly get exactly what you want without spending a long time breeding the right traits in. Even if customs were rare, there might be some people that completely drop breeding their Quins in favor of just waiting for customs to get that "perfect horse" instead of trying to breed for it.
Just my opinion.

On the other hand, I think customs as far as you choose a breed and gender, then you give us a randomly generated one would be nice :3 (rather than fully random breed and gender). Pretty much a pre-made but as least you can get the breed you want :3

I do think more events and things like Flatsales and Auctions for both SG and $USD can still make you quite a bit of moolah without having to do full customs for people =D

[Scullisto]

I like the idea of custom breeds...meaning not to replicate "this horse" in "this picture" but, posting a mother picture and a father picture and the speculative foal would be the one the owner would recieve.  Still leaving creative control in Silv's corner and a bit of mystery to the new owner.  This would also allow new blood lines and new color schemes into the exsisting quin lines.

[Silvanon]

Ok, I think I've decided what I'll do.  I'm not going to do out-and-out customs since I'd previously said I wouldn't, and there's a significant portion of the adopter base that would like it to stay that way. 

I am, however, going to do a take on Rav's idea - I will occasionally offer for sale a limited number of "Magic Marking" tickets, where when you claim a foal, you can use the Magic Marking ticket to submit a photo of a horse that matches your foal's description, and the foal's markings will look like the photo.  The tickets will be able to be used to get a specific Tobiano pattern or whatnot, and will also be able to be used to include Real Life horse traits that Quinsta don't have genes for, such as brindle or pangare - these wouldn't be inheritable.

I'll be offering premades for flatsale and auction for both SG and USD. 

[Pinkshadow]

sounds fantastic Silv <3

[Ravvana]

Sound great, Silv

[Keilin Alyr]

Ooh, I'll be looking forward to seeing those tickets implemented. =)

I have been pondering a variation of Ravvana's idea for quite some time, perhaps it could also be discussed? I've been pondering if we could offer USD for an item that allows a bit more control over facial and leg markings. I don't think those two variables could be exploited quite as much as coat and mane traits.

I don't own any RL horses, but using my Stable Horse mare Tempest as an example (Blue Dun, facial Blaze, and I believe front left Fetlock or Pastern), perhaps $10 could be spent to allow a bred Blue Dun filly with neither Blaze nor single leg marking to display the desired traits, while $5 could be spent for control over one trait, so a Blue Dun filly born with Snip and Pastern could display Blaze and Pastern.

I'm thinking it could allow us who've bred otherwise perfect foals except for one stubborn variable to have a perfect mimic, and this way we can still offer USD for what are essentially partial customs, without the worry of 1st generation cream dun roan appaloosa Vanners or anything quite so eccentric. XD

[YourLoveOnly]

I really like that idea ^^ That way we still have to breed for something, but we can get the perfect horse from it. I also like Keilin's idea of perhaps allowing altering/adding face and leg markings.

I have a personal question too: I have Choca, my chestnut horse character who shows appaloosa frost and unique hind leg markings. If understood correctly I can get those things? (Because Quinsta offers some appaloosa patterns I wasn't completely sure if I could get this type and if I can would it be coded as another appy type or can I just breed a plain chestnut horse to get this?)

[Winged]

I like that idea! So, to get my Lyra mimic i would need to breed a bay foal, with a star and a snip? Or if the foal say came out with just the star, or had a blaze, would the ticket be enough to alter that? Also, could the shade that the bay is be altered to look more like the RL horse?

[springacres]

Ooh, love that idea, Ravv - thanks for suggesting it, and Silv - thanks for adopting it

[Ryuukokoro]

Whoot! \o/ Yay for changes! I do hope there's a way to get these tickets other than just USD though, some of us have dream horses but no monies. D:


Also I would just like to say there are 2 things I sincerely loved about the Quin that I miss:

1.) the Gavanian story! Pick a door and posting for trouble were great events, I just miss the little intro with Ethendil popping in to talk to us. X3

2.) the original flatsales where you list descriptions of the ones available and we post to claim them, and they are colored afterward.

I love those things about the Quin and would be estatic to see them back. ^.^

[Silvanon]

Actually the Magic Marking tickets will probably only be available for SG.  I don't really feel comfortable with the idea of selling "fulfill later" products for USD.

And thanks for the feedback on the other points.  Awe, I've been missing Ethendil too.  (He's far more organized than I am.)  He's just been especially busy lately so I've had to run the last couple seasons by myself.  I'll let him know he's missed, though.  Hopefully he'll be able to come for the March season.  He's better than me at convincing Gavanian stables to send listings of quinsta for you guys to choose from, rather than just committing specific individuals.  The stables don't like the uncertainty as well, but they'll do it when Ethendil asks.

[Leafy]

I actually wouldn't be opposed to the idea of getting semi-customs for $$. Existing breeds only, you can pick breed and gender, (yay I could finally get some girls!) and the rest is up to Silv. Then Silv can have some money do do cool things with, and we can get genders and breeds we need/want/covet (I *neeeeeed* more girls <_<). Nor would it break the beloved "Breeding to get there" system we all adore and fight with lol.