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Monday, August 24, 2009

How To Change Isles

Alright, so up to now you've been beginning to get the hang of this "Horse Isle" website, right? So as you're questing, a virtual player asks you to go to Snow Isle to get something.

Snow Isle?! Say what?!?
Don't fret, friends! It's totally easy. Just get yourself to the Earton Docks (you can find them along the shore near the town of Earton to your left). Go inside the little shack thing (I still don't know exactly what it is!) and press Travel next to Snow Isle's name in the list of places you can travel. Easy as that!

Just bear in mind that Earton Docks will not get you everywhere. For example, if you need to get to Hotton on Desert Isle you have to go to Appleton Docks to directly go there.
Don't cry! Either Amelia or me, Sassy (PlaidIsRad on Cremello), will be posting a list of which dock to take to get to each isle!

Sunday, August 9, 2009

Life Is A Rainbow [Layout]


Above is the example of what your profile could look like.

Enter your information in the places where it says so, then copy and paste.

Sub AddAndPopulateATextBox()

Dim oTextBox As Shape
Dim strText As String


[red]R adiant
[orange]a mazing
[yellow]i ntense
[green]n oble
[blue]b old
[navy]o utrageous
[purple]w onderful

[aqua]YOURUSERNAMEHERE!
[/b]
[fuchsia]********[red]M[orange]y [yellow]C[green]o[blue]L[navy]o[purple]R[red]f[orange]u[yellow]L [green]L[blue]i[navy]F[purple]e[fuchsia]********

[aqua] In here, write some things about you!


[fuchsia] ********[red]H[orange]o[yellow]R[green]s[blue]E[navy]s[fuchsia]********
[aqua] Talk about your horses here.


[fuchsia] ********[red]M[orange]y [yellow]B[green]e[blue]S[navy]t [purple]B[red]u[orange]d[yellow]s[fuchsia]********
[aqua] Tell everyone all about your favorite buds.


[teal] Life
is like a
[purple]rainbow.[teal]
You need both the sun
and the rain
to make its colors
appear.



[black](c) Profile by PlaidIsRad and Yelly Hyena 2009

Set oTextBox = ActiveWindow.Selection.SlideRange.Shapes.AddOLEObject(Left:=114#, _
Top:=48#, _
width:=522#,
height:=450#, _
ClassName:="Forms.TextBox.1",
Link:=msoFalse)

With oTextBox.OLEFormat.Object
.MultiLine = True
.WordWrap = True
.ScrollBars = fmScrollBarsVertical
.Text = strText

End Sub




How to use these layouts:

Enter your info.

Highlight the layout.

If you have a Windows computer right click and press "Copy to Clipboard". If you have an Apple computer press the Apple Command button and the letter "C" together to copy the text.

Log on to Horse Isle and press the Profile tab. Delete anything already there and paste the text into your profile. (On a Windows right click and press Paste. On an Apple press the Apple Command button and the letter "V")

Press Save and then look at the Stats tab on Horse Isle to preview your layout. If it looks good to you then you can click on Profile to edit in your information. Remember to save!

A Note About These Layouts

Let me tell you 3 rules about these layouts:


  • Anyone can use them. Just copy/paste.
  • Do not remove the tag at the bottom that says Amelia and I made these. If you remove that, you are stealing and that is not okay with us. Please notify if you see any stolen layouts. :)
  • You are most certainly allowed to change/add any details you want. If you want to change a certain color or something that's fine by us.
Here's how to use them:

  1. Highlight the layout.
  2. If you have a Windows computer right click and press "Copy to Clipboard". If you have an Apple computer press the Apple Command button and the letter "C" together to copy the text.
  3. Log on to Horse Isle and press the Profile tab. Delete anything already there and paste the text into your profile. (On a Windows right click and press Paste. On an Apple press the Apple Command button and the letter "V")
  4. Press Save and then look at the Stats tab on Horse Isle to preview your layout. If it looks good to you then you can click on Profile to edit in your information. Remember to save!
Thanks! :)

Thursday, August 6, 2009

Horse Isle Breed: Bashkir Curly



"Though the exact origins are unknown, it is believed the Bashkir Curly that inhabits North America descended from the Russian Bashkirs that can be found on the southern Ural Mountains.  Known for its curly winter coat, the Bashkir Curly is able to withstand extremely cold temperatures and dig food out from under 3 foot deep snow.  An extremely hardy horse the breed is also known to be gentle and easy to train.  On Horse Isle, the Bashkir Curly can only be found on snow.  This breed ranges from 13.3-16hh."

Possible colors: white, palomino, dun, brown, black, cremello, roan, pinto, chestnut, grey, bay
You could probably find this horse on Snow Isle.

Horse Isle Breed: Azteca



"This relatively young breed is from Mexico and the result of breeding the Andalusian, Quarter Horse and Mexican Criollo. The Azteca has often been used for bullfighting though it is great with cattle and performs well in shows.  An intelligent, agile, spirited and elegant breed, the Azteca is a great, versatile horse that can only be found on the deserts of Horse Isle.  This breed ranges from 14-16hh."

Possible colors: black, bay, dun grey, cremello, palomino, chestnut
This horse could probably be found on Desert Isle.

Horse Isle Breed: Australian Stock Horse

"The Australian Stock Horse was originally brought to Australia, then the colony of N.S.W., in 1788.  Because of the unknown, untamed land the horses came to, they needed to be strong, reliable, have good stamina and temperament.  These characteristics were selected for during the early years of the breed currently making it considered one of the most versatile horses in the world.  This breed has been used for everything from a war horse in World War I to show jumping and general riding today.  In Horse Isle, this breed is only found in the desert.  The Australian Stock Horse ranges from 15-16hh."


Possible colors: Pinto, black white, brown, bay, dun, cremello, white, roan, grey, chestnut, palomino
You could probably find this horse on Desert Isle.

Horse Isle Breed: Australian Brumby



"Many consider the Australian Brumby a national icon of Australia where as others consider them a pest.  The Brumby is a wild horse that roams Australia and was originally imported in the late 1700's to help in the exploration of the country.  These were left and have now become wild to roam in herds, much like North America's Mustang.  There are both positive and negative aspects of these wild herds, mostly involving the land.  They can help dig up water when it's dry that also waters other wildlife and enhance some tourism in the country, but they also invade cattle grazing ground and damage fragile plants.  Most roam free, but some are used as stock horses.  The Australian Brumby ranges from 13-15.2hh."

Possible colors: white, black, roan, pinto, chestnut, cremello, grey, palomino, bay, dun, brown
You could probably find this horse on most isles.

Horse Isle Breed: Ardennais



"Originating in the region of France and Belgium, the Ardennais is the oldest known draft breed, believed to be over 2000 years old.  A docile and hard working breed, it is most frequently used for agricultural work.  Back in the 19th century, Napoleon used the breed to haul artillery into Russia.  Arabian blood was added at that time to increase endurance.  Later, Brabant and Belgian blood was added, increasing the strength and size even more.  The Ardennais is heavily boned and well muscled yet agile for its size, making it an ideal breed for work on rough terrain and hilly land.  This breed ranges from 14.3 to 16 hh and is only found on lava."

Possible colors: bay, grey, roan, chestnut, palomino
You could probably find this horse on Lava Isle.

Horse Isle Breed: Arabian



"The Arabian's origin is in the Arabian peninsula thousands of years ago and has influenced many other breeds.  It was a very important horse to the nomadic Bedouin people of the Middle East desert.  They often sheltered the horse inside the family tent.  This close human contact gave the Arab a willingness to please.  Its finely chiseled head makes it easily recognizable along with its high tail carriage.  This beautiful, spirited breed is considered to be very intelligent and fast with incredibly high endurance.  It is also able to withstand harsh conditions because of its origins in the desert.  The Arabian ranges from 14-15hh."

Possible colors: bay, chestnut, black, grey
You could probably find this horse on Desert Isle.

Horse Isle Breed: Appaloosa



"The Appaloosa was originally bred by the Nez Perce Indian tribe in Northwest United States.  They selectively bred for endurance, speed and strength.  It is believed the Nez Perce were the only tribe to selectively breed horses.  The Appaloosa has striped hooves and is known for its distinctive, spotted look. This breed ranges from 14-15.3hh."

Possible colors: black, brown, bay, white, grey, roan, chestnut
You could probably find this horse on most isles.

Horse Isle Breed: Andalusian



"The Andalusian is an elegant, Spanish breed and is considered to be one of the purest in the world.  It is visually stunning to watch with its well arched neck and graceful, high-stepping action.  Often used by royalty in Europe, the Andalusian is considered a proud and docile breed.  It has been used for many activities though its superb balance lends it to dressage and show jumping along with cattle work.  The Andalusian ranges from 15-16hh."

Possible colors: Black, brown, bay, white, grey
You could probably find this horse on most isles.

Horse Isle Breed: American Saddlebred



"Originating in Kentucky in the United States, the Saddlebred is a highly intelligent breed that is very people oriented.  All are born with three gaits, the walk, trot and canter, but most can be easily trained to do two others: the slow-gait and rack.  They carry themselves with elegance and do well at dressage and jumping.  The Saddlebred ranges from 15-16hh."

Possible colors: Black, brown, bay, grey, pinto, roan, chestnut, palomino
You could probably find this horse on Horse Isle.

Horse Isle Breed: American Paint



"The American Paint is a versatile and athletic breed.  Originating from the Quarter Horse and Thoroughbred, the Paint was believed to possess magical abilities by the Native Americans because of their coloring.  The Paint is a great ranch horse and is great for cattle driving and barrel racing.  This breed ranges from 14-16hh."

Possible colors: Palomino, black, brown, bay, chestnut
You could probably find this horse on Horse Isle.

Horse Isle Breed: American Mustang



"The Mustang is the wild horse of the North American west left by the Spanish in the late 1600's.  The Native Americans began using the horse as their main mode of transportation and would often steal the horses from the Spaniards.  At one point there were around 2 million wild horses.  The breed is very hardy and clever which helps them adapt well to their environment.  They come in a variety of colors and though the average height is around 14 hands, they can range from 13 to 16 hands high."

Possible colors: Pinto, dun, cremello, bay, grey, black, brown, chestnut, palomino, roan
You could probably find this horse on Hare Isle.

Horse Isle Breed: American Cream Draft

"The American Cream Draft was entirely developed from within the United States.  The breed is always cream with pink skin and amber or hazel eyes.  Also known for its excellent temperament, good disposition and ease in handling, the American Cream is most frequently used for pleasure driving and riding as well as carriage driving, parade hitches and farm work.  This breed ranges from 15-16.3hh."


Possible colors: Cremello
You could probably find this horse on most isles.

Horse Isle Breed: Alter Real



"Originating in Portugal in 1748, the Alter Real got its name from the town it originated from, Alter, and the fact that real is Portuguese for "royal".  Mainly of Andalusian blood, the Alter Real faced extinction when, in the 19th century, Napoleon's troops stole most of the stock and then foreign breeds were introduced, which almost ruined the breed.  Reintroducing Andalusians brought the breed back to its current splendor.  Bred mainly for use in high school dressage, the Alter Real is an elegant, courageous breed, with high, showy action.  It ranges in height from 15-16.1hh."

Possible Colors: Chestnut, black, white, grey, bay, brown
You could probably find this horse on most isles.

Horse Isle Breed: Akhal-Teke




"The Akhal-Teke is a national emblem of the country Turkmenistan in Central Asia.  A very old breed (at least 3000 years) that was bred for the desert.  The coat often has a gold "shimmer" which may have helped for camouflage in the hot desert.  The Akhal-Teke is most known for its speed, stamina, and trainability and is only found on the deserts of Horse Isle.  This breed ranges from 15-16hh."

Possible colors: Bay, Black, Dun, Grey, Palomino
You could probably find this horse in Desert Isle.

How To Get A Horse

Being a new player stinks, doesn't it? You start out with no more than $1,000. I mean, that's not enough to get you a horse. But, if you want a horse, instead of bothering other busy players, follow these tips and you'll have a horse of your own in no time!


Alright, so lets begin in the town on Earton in Horse Isle, the same place you got off the docks when you started out. If you follow the path up, you'll see a little grassy place with a closed off fence. Walk inside, and lease a horse for only $250.

Now, these leased horses will stay with you for two hours, which is one game-day. Click on horses and click on the horse you leased. Now press Mount to ride the horse! This way, you can travel faster.

And, now that you've got a horse, you can do some quests for people to earn money! Walk into the houses (which look like brown cabins) and talk to the people inside them. Most people in Earton will probably have something easy for you to do for them, which may involve traveling to other places. Just read carefully and follow the instructions they say. Be sure to go back to the person to get quest points and a reward, which could be money, food, or objects.

Continue doing these quests until you have around 20k ($20,000). That should be plenty for a horse! Find the Auctions and try to get a cheap horse there, or post an ad saying you're looking for a horse for about 10k.

Once you get your very own horse, you can click on the Horses button and take a good look at it. You can also press edit to change the name of the horse. You can pick any name you want! You could also add a description. However, you can not ride or mount your horse yet. You need to buy 3 items to be able to ride a horse: A saddle, a bridle, and a saddle pad.

Where do you find these? You can find them at any place that says Gear. Just walk in and look at the things. You should probably get the cheapest tack (Tack = Saddle, Bridle, and Pad), which is called English or Western tack (English/Western saddle, bridle...).

Once you bought all three things, you can go back to your horses profile, and press Tack. Once you do, select all three items onto your horse, and press Mount. You are now riding your very own horse! 

What Is Spamming?

How do you know whether you're just sending a couple friendly messages or whether you're spamming? Spamming is something really annoying that many new players on Horse Isle do not understand, and need to know.
My personal definition:
Spamming - Repeatedly posting in Global/PM's/Buddy Chat...etc. with content that no one else on Horse Isle really cares about.
For example:

ARandomNoob: hi.
PlaidIsRad>ARandomNoob: Um, Hey. :)
ARandomNoob: i need a horse!
ARandomNoob: and u have so many...
PlaidIsRad>ARandomNoob: Not really...
ARandomNoob: can i have one? plz!
ARandomNoob: im soo poor
ARandomNoob: please please please?
ARandomNoob: just 1 horse!!!
ARandomNoob: u still there? hello?
Sorry, you can not send PlaidIsRad a PM anymore. She has blocked you. Ha ha!

Nobody, and I repeat nobody respects a person like that. I understand we're online, but please, people! Have some class and talk like a human being.
And that, my friends, is spamming. If you need a horse, just read some online guides (like this one *hint hint*) and earn a horse yourself.


What Is "Ads Chat"?


See that green highlighted thing above that says "Ads Chat"? This is what we use to prevent spam in Global Chat (AKA: "Chat All"). Here are some questions I'm going to answer for you.

What is ads chat?
  Ads chat is a chat setting that makes your text turn purple when you send it. You use it to post ads, of course!

What kind of "ads"?
  Some examples of ads is like asking to buy or sell a horse or items. You also would use it to announce beauty contests and whatnot. Do not say "I need a horse!" or "I want to buy a horse" in Global Chat. That's not the place. You would say that instead in Ads Chat!

Well, I tried to post another ad, but it wont send! Why not?
  That's because you can only post an ad once every minute. That way, it prevents people from spamming with ads. You can also mute ads (meaning that ads wont appear in your left chat bar) by typing in and sending this:
!MUTE ads
And you can unmute by doing this:
!UNMUTE ads
Remember that if you mute ads, you wont be able to post an ad, so you have to unmute them. Pretty simple, huh? :)

Can you show me an example of an ad? I'm not sure what to write.
  Sure! Here's an example of an ad someone may post if they want to buy a horse:

PlaidIsRad: *BUYING* A cheap horse, less than 10k. PM me! :)

Or, lets say you want to sell a horse...

PlaidIsRad: Selling - A freshly caught brown Noriker mare. PM me with offers. Great UT's!!!

You can do the exact same thing with items, too.

PlaidIsRad: Anyone have 25 logs I can buy? Paying well! Message me.

See! It's not hard at all.

Wait, hold on! What does 10k mean? And what are UT's? And what's a PM? Help!
  Don't worry, buddy! I'll tell you...
10k means $10,000 in game-money.
UT's are untrainable stats your horse has, like personality and intelligence. No matter what, you can't change those.
PM's stand for Private Message, when you talk one-on-one to a certain player.

Thank you so much! Now I'm not an Ad's Chat noob anymore!
  Hooray! That wasn't hard at all, was it? Ad's chat is simple. :) 

Text Formats For Your Profile

Want to know how to make text thicker/bold on your profile? Thinner? Underline? Italicize? Here's the simple way you can do all of that!


Making Text Bold: 
[b] Your Text Here [/b]

Making Text Underlined:
[u] Your Text Here [/u]

Make Text in Italics:
[i] Your Text Here [/i]


Now, a fact that took me a while to understand. On Horse Isle, your text is already bold as a default setting. If you don't want bold text, then at the very top of your profile, type this:

[/b]

This removes the bold setting, and un-bolds your text! Have fun making your profile! :)

PS: Amelia and I will be creating some premade layouts for you! All you have to do is type in your information and copy/paste! Be sure to look out for that.

Avoid Being Annoying In Global Chat

Always avoid being annoying in Horse Isle. People can (and will!) mute you. So here are a few examples of a normal conversations on HI Global Chat, but first here are some tips.


Chat Tips:
Don't plead other players for any items, money or horses. It's okay to ask for some help on some quests but don't make it sound desparate. Also, don't start a chat fight. People will get annoyed and sooner or later a mod will come. Whenever a fight starts to bubble up, don't take sides, just try and break it up or say something really funny or random. Now here are some examples of annoying things to say and OK things to say in Global.

RainbowPonies: Can someone help me find Vixens calf on Snow isle?
ILuvMyCat: Sure, I can come to Snow Isle. Just follow me.

Now that is all right to say. Don't be afraid to ask for some help on quests. But here is an annoying example.

ANNOYING:
RainbowPonies: Please plz plz plz plz plz find vixens calf for meeeee!!!!
ILuvMyCat: The mute button is looking pretty divine right now...

Don't make that mistake! Now here is another annoying example, with begging.

RainbowPonies: plz can someone give me two foals! plz i really want oneeeee but i can't afford one....!!
Moderator: No beggars please. *mutes*

Yup... no beggars. 

How To Add Buddies The RIGHT Way

A lot of people on Horse Isle can be a bit stubborn when it comes to Random Buddy Requests (RB/RBR, as some people call it). Some of the long-time subscribers will not hesitate to Mute you. Some people just aren't interested in chatting.

But if you do want some buddies on Horse Isle, here's some tips to remember when adding.

First, check the person's profile by clicking the ? button right next to their name. Scan it to see if they mention Random Buddy Requests. Most people say "I do not accept random buddies" or "I do accept random buddy requests." 
If they say don't add me then don't add them! It's a ticket for them to mute you.
Some people don't say anything in their profile. If so, then it's okay to try and add them.

Here's how to politely add someone. Click the Add Buddy button ONLY ONE TIME. If you go crazy pressing that button, most people wont add you back, or you'll be muted.

So remember, it's okay to add a buddy. Just use proper etiquette and you'll have buddies in no time! :)

Colors For Your Profile!

Want to snazz up your Horse Isle profile? There are many things you can do to make it look pretty, including adding color to it! Here are the available colors Horse Isle offers:


Red
Navy
Blue
Orange
Purple
Yellow
Fuchsia
Teal
Lime
Green
Olive
Black
Pink
Brown
Grey
Silver
Maroon
Aqua

See any you like?
Now that you know all the colors, I'm going to teach you how to use them.
So lets say you want to write: "Thoroughbreds are really cool. They are my favorite kind of horse." But you want to write the first sentence in green, and the second sentence in pink.
You would click on the Profile button, and write:

[Green]

Then, you'd add your sentence to it.

[Green]Thoroughbreds are really cool.

Now, you need to add your other sentence. Here's how you change the color.

[Green]Thoroughbreds are really cool. [Pink]They are my favorite kind of horse.

Remember to press Save! After you press Save, press Stats to see how everyone else views your profile. It should look like this:

Thoroughbreds are really cool. They are my favorite kind of horse.

Now, you can keep doing this until you've got a color coordinated profile! No longer will you be jealous of other people's brightly colored profiles. You're one of them!