Post by Uruviel on Oct 5, 2010 16:29:38 GMT -5
Well, a lot of recent changes have come to the site! Now I think it's time to elaborate on the loner tab of the new header table. This is a new twist thrown into the life of lone wolves!
Source: animals.howstuffworks.com/mammals/lone-wolf.htm/printable
As you can see, the life of a lone wolf is a difficult one, and we have not been the best at truly portraying the difficulties of this lifestyle. So there are going to be some changes to the site's structure from now on.
With the addition of the tabs, it is easier to keep track of each individual pack. We will be removing the sidebar pack stats shortly and fully converting to the tab system on the main page. With this comes the responsibility to look after your lone wolf. This post is meant to elaborate on the information under the "Loner Disadvantages" on the main page.
Unhealthy Wolves
An unhealthy wolf is one classified as below-average health. This can be determined by a variety of factors.
There are certain things that can still be done by an unhealthy wolf. While they are limited in some aspects, they are still largely capable of functioning on their own.
Can - Maintain liquid time, hunt, travel across territories (such as different boards within the same area)
Cannot - Hunt solo, travel more than to the currently adjacent territory
If your wolf does not A. join a pack for protection or B. hunt successfully/find other wolves, the health will drop to critical. A wolf will remain in the unhealthy stage for close to a month before it will drop to critical.
Critical Wolves
A critical wolf is one that is close to death. They have bee unhealthy for quite some time and are either starving, sick, or just plain old. These wolves need immediate assistance or they will die! The wolves in critical condition are very limited on what they can and cannot do. When a wolf is classified as critical, the staff will put a warning level on the account. This DOES NOT mean that you are in trouble, simply that your wolf is in danger! If your wolf drops to critical, a PM will be sent to that wolf's account informing you of what can/cannot be done in addition to these basic guidelines.
Can - Eat, walk short distances, maintain conversations
Cannot - Maintain liquid time, leave the current territory, hunt, run
In order to recover these wolves must be nursed back to health by another person's character or the character will die. Staff will monitor these wolves and adjust the health as necessary.
The idea of this set-up is to provide incentive to either keep in other wolves' company or join a pack. Wolves cannot keep healthy when they are constantly on their own, and this is meant to reflect the real life struggles of a lone wolf in nature. The staff will be responsible for adjusting the loner tab about once a month (usually around the beginning), so be sure to check within the first week of the month to be sure your wolf is still alright.
The next addition to the site is that of an NPC Account! The staff will roleplay random events throughout the site in addition to prey or predators that will come after your wolf! Be sure to keep an eye out for this, because if your character finds itself in a sticky situation, you may be in trouble!
Abandoning the pack also means leaving behind the protection other members offer. Because of wolves' territorial nature, loners must be cautious about trespassing into lands belonging to other packs. To safely find food, a lone wolf may need to search for hundreds of miles. Or, a wolf may float between the borders of pack territories, checking scent marks to make sure that it isn't in danger. To further conceal its whereabouts, a lone wolf limits its howling because it could give away its location to enemies. The exception is if a wolf accidentally gets lost from the pack -- it will howl to signal its location.
Dispersal doesn't always lead to a life of loneliness. A younger lone wolf may eventually cross into another pack's area to challenge a weak alpha in order to take over. Except during times of abundant prey, the alpha male and female is the only pair allowed to breed. Consequently, hormonal influences surrounding mating season may open an exit door from the pack. A subordinate wolf may catch the scent of a wolf from another pack that's ready to mate, and it may seek out that breeding wolf. In this way, lone wolves can help stimulate and diversify the wolf population. For example, a lone wolf from Finland actually revived the dwindling wolf population in Sweden when it crossed the border and mated. The last Swedish wolf pack had begun inbreeding, and the Finnish wolf mixed up the gene pool, which sparked a resurgence in the pack.
Even if lone wolves track down mates, the odds are against them. Without the support of the pack, they're more likely to die. But just because a wolf leaves its home doesn't mean it's gone forever. If a lone wolf can't succeed on its own, it may eventually return to its natal pack.
Dispersal doesn't always lead to a life of loneliness. A younger lone wolf may eventually cross into another pack's area to challenge a weak alpha in order to take over. Except during times of abundant prey, the alpha male and female is the only pair allowed to breed. Consequently, hormonal influences surrounding mating season may open an exit door from the pack. A subordinate wolf may catch the scent of a wolf from another pack that's ready to mate, and it may seek out that breeding wolf. In this way, lone wolves can help stimulate and diversify the wolf population. For example, a lone wolf from Finland actually revived the dwindling wolf population in Sweden when it crossed the border and mated. The last Swedish wolf pack had begun inbreeding, and the Finnish wolf mixed up the gene pool, which sparked a resurgence in the pack.
Even if lone wolves track down mates, the odds are against them. Without the support of the pack, they're more likely to die. But just because a wolf leaves its home doesn't mean it's gone forever. If a lone wolf can't succeed on its own, it may eventually return to its natal pack.
Source: animals.howstuffworks.com/mammals/lone-wolf.htm/printable
As you can see, the life of a lone wolf is a difficult one, and we have not been the best at truly portraying the difficulties of this lifestyle. So there are going to be some changes to the site's structure from now on.
With the addition of the tabs, it is easier to keep track of each individual pack. We will be removing the sidebar pack stats shortly and fully converting to the tab system on the main page. With this comes the responsibility to look after your lone wolf. This post is meant to elaborate on the information under the "Loner Disadvantages" on the main page.
Unhealthy Wolves
An unhealthy wolf is one classified as below-average health. This can be determined by a variety of factors.
Age
The older the wolf, the more likely his/her health will drop to unhealthy. As a wolf gets older, it becomes more difficult for them to survive without assistance. This includes hunting, fighting, and traveling long distances.
Location
If your wolf is a loner and is, say, as hort-coated wolf (ex. an iranian wolf) it is more likely to become unhealthy in colder territories, such as the northern lands.
Illness
On occasion, everything gets sick. Maybe your wolf randomly came down with a bug that needs to be treated by a wolf with medical knowledge.
There are certain things that can still be done by an unhealthy wolf. While they are limited in some aspects, they are still largely capable of functioning on their own.
Can - Maintain liquid time, hunt, travel across territories (such as different boards within the same area)
Cannot - Hunt solo, travel more than to the currently adjacent territory
If your wolf does not A. join a pack for protection or B. hunt successfully/find other wolves, the health will drop to critical. A wolf will remain in the unhealthy stage for close to a month before it will drop to critical.
Critical Wolves
A critical wolf is one that is close to death. They have bee unhealthy for quite some time and are either starving, sick, or just plain old. These wolves need immediate assistance or they will die! The wolves in critical condition are very limited on what they can and cannot do. When a wolf is classified as critical, the staff will put a warning level on the account. This DOES NOT mean that you are in trouble, simply that your wolf is in danger! If your wolf drops to critical, a PM will be sent to that wolf's account informing you of what can/cannot be done in addition to these basic guidelines.
Can - Eat, walk short distances, maintain conversations
Cannot - Maintain liquid time, leave the current territory, hunt, run
In order to recover these wolves must be nursed back to health by another person's character or the character will die. Staff will monitor these wolves and adjust the health as necessary.
The idea of this set-up is to provide incentive to either keep in other wolves' company or join a pack. Wolves cannot keep healthy when they are constantly on their own, and this is meant to reflect the real life struggles of a lone wolf in nature. The staff will be responsible for adjusting the loner tab about once a month (usually around the beginning), so be sure to check within the first week of the month to be sure your wolf is still alright.
The next addition to the site is that of an NPC Account! The staff will roleplay random events throughout the site in addition to prey or predators that will come after your wolf! Be sure to keep an eye out for this, because if your character finds itself in a sticky situation, you may be in trouble!
![Wildlife [NPC] Avatar](http://i662.photobucket.com/albums/uu342/syrenwolfess/npcicon.png)
