Showdog.com
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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| URL | [1] |
|---|---|
| Commercial? | Yes |
| Type of site | Simulation Game, dog-raising simulation |
| Registration | free for a basic account, $4.95(USD) per month for a premium account |
| Owner | Third Row Productions |
| Created by | Jeff Schroeder |
| Launched | 2003-02-23 |
| Current status | Active |
Showdog.com is an pet-raising simulation and strategy multiplayer online game created by Jeff Schroeder. The game mimics real life dog breeding and showing in conformation shows and obedience trials. Basic gameplay is free, but users can also choose, for a small fee, to upgrade their accounts to a premium or family level using monthly paypal payments, or payment by check. The game offers all currenty recognized American Kennel Club breeds, as well as some other breeds in the AKC's Foundation Stock Service. Users can specialize in breeding and showing any of these available breeds.
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[edit] History
Showdog.com was launched on February 23, 2003 by Jeff Schroeder, who owns similar websites: showcattle.com, showcats.com, and trophyhorse.com.
[edit] Game Setup
Once signed up, users can view their "kennel", which is a page listing all of the dogs they currently own. Upon clicking one of the dog's names, a page containing the dog's stats will be shown. In the stats, the dog's name, gender, birthdate, registration number and other generic information is shown. Underneath that are two lines of numbers, ranging in colors from red to blue. This is the dog's "genetic quality" and the numbers signify the value of the individual traits. The dog's qualities are all based on "genes" (numbers) passed down through their parents and cannot be changed by the user. Let it be noted that these numbers will change until a dog reaches 10 days old, and they are affected by the genes of the last three generations in that dog's pedigree.
Underneath the Genetic Quality, is the Condition, Muscle Tone, Coat Condition, Show Obedience, Obediance Trial Training. These stat's can be manipulated by the user through daily "sessioning", like exercise, grooming or training for shows. Users are given a certain number of "sessions" to use daily and the dog's individual stats will change based on the use of sessions, as well as the quality of food provided.
Users have the option to buy and sell dogs from one another, as well as offering their male dogs up for stud.
Dogs can be shown at 14 days old, bred at 31 days old, and are forced to retire from the show ring at 120 days, although they can continue to show in obedience after reaching the conformation age limit.
Basic (free) kennels can breed once, place Champion males up for stud at $25, and own up to five dogs (age 14 days or older).
Standard (paying) kennels can breed as much as they wish (with ten concurrent pregnancies at a time), place any breeding age males up for stud, use the chat room, browse the "Alpha Dog" forum (for paying users only), have the option of editing their kennel page (to put up banners, information for other users, info about the kennel, etc), and can own up to 30 dogs of 14 days or older at a time.
[edit] Strategy
Upon signing up, a basic user can choose to create five dogs of any breed available. These first "starter" dogs are usually of poorer quality than dogs in already established player's breeding programs.
Showdog.com users can choose to enter their dogs in daily conformation shows or obedience trials. The outcome of the show largely depends on the dog's genetic quality, as well as the daily sessioning. Also available is the option to hire a handler for your dog, which will increase the dog's potential to earn points towards its championship, depending on the skill level of the handler and the degree to which a specific judge likes the handler.
All dogs will pass on their genetic quality to their offspring. The user has the option to use their own male dogs as a stud, or to breed to another user's stud.
Some third party websites offer genetic testing to find out a dog's percentage rating based on it's breed's Schedule of Points(SOP). Users may try to breed dogs with the highest possible SOP in order to obtain puppies with equally high ratings.
