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Update 6/03: Many of these links no longer function. Use Google to search for more petz help, or check a big site like the Petz warehouse or its hosted sub-site Carolyn's Creations.
A. "FAQ" stands for Frequently Asked Questions, or a file of questions that the webmaster gets asked a lot. If you see a FAQ on a site, read it before emailing anyone to save a lot of frustration on both sides! :)
If you're new to computers/the internet and need help with basic terms, The Dictionary of Computer and Internet Terms is a very good book to purchase. You can learn more about it at CovingtonInnovations.com or purchase it on Amazon.com or Amazon.co.uk - it's worth every penny!
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A. Sorry, I don't give out copies of my petz or web graphics - I've worked very hard on them and want them to remain unique!
If you need web graphics or design, a very good site is... good grief... this whole FAQ is becoming a shameless plug for CovingtonInnovations.com! I'll steer it back to petz stuff in a minute...
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Q. Can you send me one of your grab bagz/breed files? I can't open zip files.
A. Unfortunately, I do not have time to send out large files by email - that's why I zip them and put them on the site in the first place. You can download a trial version of WinZip at Winzip.com, which will allow you to open the zip files here.
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A. Sorry, but I'm pretty clueless in the html department - I gave up on hand coding several years ago, and my knowledge has rotted :)
I use Adobe Pagemill to create my webpages. It's a good program which, while a little old, is now available for reasonable prices (the other day I saw it bundled with a graphics tablet). I occasionally use GoLive, Pagemill's successor, for a few java tricks but I was generally disappointed with it and am considering switching to another line of html editors.
I reccomend Lissa Explains It All - HTML Help For Kids as a great html site for the beginner. It covers everything from html basics to cool java tricks.
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Q. How did you get MagnoliaPetz.com/email that ends in @magnoliapetz.com?
A. I registered my domain with Redirection.net, a service that provides me with domain name and email redirection. If you're interested in getting your own domain, take a look!
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Q. Where do you get your pictures of magnolias?
A. All are pictures of magnolias in my backyard, taken with the family's digital camera.
Q. Which came first, Magnolia Blossom Cattery or Magnolia Grove?
Just to clarify, I have been using the name "magnolia blossom cattery" for over two years now... since BEFORE Magnolia Grove or any other petz sites with "magnolia" in their names were started.
I have nothing against Magnolia Grove (it's a wonderful site) and the similar names don't bug me at all (anyone remember Magnolia Kennelz from a few years back?). This is merely posted here for the enlightenment of those self-righteous hatemailers who periodically accuse me of stealing their favorite site's theme.
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A. Whoa! You're really lost! ...or my dad sent you here to look at my site...
The petz programs (Catz and Dogz) are a-life simulations of, you guessed it, cats and dogs. They're a lot of fun, especially since a huge user community has sprung up and started inventing new uses for the program (see below). For more information, see the official site, http://www.petz.com/
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A: Shows are one of the greatest draws of the online petz community. In a petz show, many petz owners send pictures of their petz in a show pose (see next question) to the webmaster of the site holding the show. The webmaster (or whoever's judging) then ranks the petz based on their show poses.
Best In Show, First Place, Second Place, Third Place, and Honorable Mention prizes are usually awarded. Some sites make certificates, some email the winners pictures of ribbons or trophies, and some even give out a unique petz or hexed breed as a prize, though this is not common.
Now you can also find many specialty shows, like "cutest petz" or "best trick" where your petz doesn't have to be in a show pose. There are also shows where you edit a picture of your petz with a graphics program to fit a certain theme, like Star Wars characters or beach outfits.
To enter a show, follow the instructions on the site hosting the show. Read the rules carefully, as some shows are only for specific breeds, some are closed for judging, etc. MBC holds shows for dogz and catz — click here to enter!
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A: A show pose is a position that most petz will eventually assume when you start taking pictures of them. The standard petz show pose is modeled on the way that dogs and cats stand in a real show.
When most dogz hear the camera, they will either do tricks or strike a show pose. The chest is puffed out; the head is held high but not tilted, only one eye and one ear showing (unless it is a PKC or DKC show, where the dogz can be facing the camera, as shown); the tail (if the dogz has enough of one) is slightly curved; the legs are perfectly aligned. Great Danes are the best at this pose, and poodles are the worst. Rewarding a petz with petting or treats when it poses will train it to pose every time that it hears the camera.
When a catz is about to pose, it will leap back, eyes wide. Then it will pose. In the ideal catz pose, the body will be perfectly sideways, the head will be held high, and the far front leg will not be visible. Try to avoid a picture where the catz looks angry or scared. Some judges like the tail slightly curved, but most prefer it as straight.
Many of the larger sites are now judging each breed by a different show standard. This is great news for poodle owners, since a poodle will not pose like a dane. :)
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Q. How do you get orange shorthairs to pose?
When you first bring a catz out, they run to the hand and perform one of several programmed behaviors (jumping up and down, batting the air, etc...). Sometimes they pose. With a little practice and a lot of patience, you can get catz that will pose for the camera (like Siamese, Alley Catz, and Orange Shorthairs).
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Q: What are show names and call names?
A show name is a fancier, longer name for your petz, which you enter them in shows as. Call names are what you call your petz. For example, I call Indra Indra, but I enter her in shows as SGCh. MBC's Marmalade Indra. This includes her title (Supreme Grand Champion, abbreviated SGCh.) the cattery that owns her (MBC) and her full name, Marmalade Indra.
Good show names for your petz can be found in book and movie titles (Pip's showname is MBC's Great Expectations, after the novel), or the petz's call name plus an adjective (MBC's Tropical Splash), or characters or celebrities (MBC's Bilbo Baggins).
It is usually considered bad manners to change a pet's show name after they have won any shows.
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Q: What if someone else has the same kennel abbreviation?
Add something to yours if the one you want is already taken - for example, if MBC had been taken, I would have used MBC3 instead because this site is for Petz3. If that wasn't open either, I could have put "Magnolia's" in front of my show names, or "Cathy's", you get the idea.
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A: The amazing petz lovers at EPCPS (now closed) created this system for petz show titles, modeled on the real system of show titles. You get so many points for each show win, and there are different titles which your petz can use after they have won a certian number of points.
Titles & Points Needed to Gain Title
Reserved Champion
Champion
Grand Champion
Master Grand Champion
Supreme Grand ChampionRc.
Ch.
GCh.
MCh.
SCh._5 points needed
10 points needed
15 points needed
20 points needed
30 points neededPoints earned in a show
Best In Show
First Place
Second Place
Third Place
Honorable MentionBIS
1st
2nd
3rd
HM5 points
4 points
3points
2 points
1 point
The abbreviations for titles are placed in front of the petz's show name, like Rc. MBC's Marmalade Indra or GCh. MBC's Rabble Rouser.
Some people now use additional titles, like "Ultimate Grand Champion," but they failed to catch on and are generally frowned upon by people (like me) who retire their petz after SGCh to give other petz a chance.
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Q: What is the "Top Dogz" List?
In the real world, the AKC keeps track of the top show dogs of every breed. Cybriar Kennelz has implemented this idea for petz - see their site to find out who's the best show dogz in the world this week!
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The PKC is the Petz Kennel Club and is modeled on the real life AKC.
"The Petz Kennel Club (PKC), maintains a purebred dog registry, sanctions dog events, and promotes responsible dog ownership. PKC registration means a dog, its parents, and its ancestors are purebred, but it does not indicate health or quality. Dogs with full PKC registration can have their offspring registered, and dogs with full or limited registration, such as those with hexed variations, can compete in PKC events and use PKC's full line of education and information services. Catz too may be registered, compete, and breed within PKC guidelines." — The old PKC hompepage
PKC showz are more realistic (and therefore more complicated) than the standard showz described above. A "PKC Starter Pack" is available at the PKC site that explains everything :)
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The Dogz Kennel Club "is a registry for all dogz in the P.F.Magic computer programs." (Not the same as the PKC, although most kennelz that register dogz with one also register their dogz with the other). The point system is slightly different, as are the set of events held (Agility, Obedience, etc.)
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Q: How do I find sites with certain features?
If you're looking for a site with something specific, like shows, adoption centers, or site awards, then the Petz Search Engine of Silver's Petz Site will be your best friend. Select what you want, for catz or dogz, and for which program, and hit search!
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A petz is cloned when the petz file is duplicated and given to more than one person. The petz is then no longer quite as special, as hundreds of other people might have the exact same petz. Any petz put up on a site where anyone can download it may be considered cloned.
Cloning does have its uses, however. It lets people who merely want a petz for breeding to get a petz quickly and easily, and it lets your petz have twinz.
Clones cannot be registered with the PKC or DKC.
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You make twinz by cloning the mother. If you want identical twins, clone the mother after she is pregnant; for fraternal twins, clone her before she is pregnant. For example, make a copy of Indra.pet and name it Indra0.pet. Both Indras will then give birth and raise their kittenz. After the kittenz seperate from the mothers, delete Indra0.pet (or if you can't bring yourself to delete a petz file, put the clone up for adoption).
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Q: What is selective breeding?
Selective breeding means breeding selectively for a particular trait. In Petz3 you can create new breeds by selective breeding. For example, when you breed a bulldog and a great dane, some of the puppies look a lot like boxers.
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The BMG, or Breed Makers Guild, is an association which registers selectively bred breeds. The BMG has over 700 members at many different levels of membership; if you're interested in breeding or adopting selectively bred petz, go there!
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Litterz are groups of petz that have been hexed to have a unique look, like pink Siamese :) Unlike hexed breedz (next question) they are simply petz of an established breed with different colors or textures.
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The different petz in the adoption center are generated by breed files. These are in the Resource\Catz and Resource\Dogz folders of the folder where Petz3 is installed. They end in .dog or .cat. Some people have edited these files, creating new types of petz.
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Q: Why are they called hexed breedz?
Hexadecimal numbers are used to store the information in the breed files. You edit the files with a hex editor, such as A.X.E. Visit the A.X.E. website for more information.
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There are two different types of hexed breedz.
Old-style hexed breedz replace one of the original breed files. To use these files, you make a backup of the original breed files and replace them with the new ones. For example, if you replace the chihuahua.dog file for chihuahuas with the chihuahua.dog file which has been edited to produce chinese cresteds, then when you select chihuahua in the adoption center you will get a chinese crested puppy instead. The game will say that this dog is a chihuahua, even though it is not.
However, you cannot breed chihuahua mixes with the chinese crested files in, and you cannot breed chinese crested mixes with the chihuahua files in. This is because the game refers to chihuahua.dog whenever you breed a dogz which it lists as a chihuahua or has chihuahua anywhere in its ancestory. This could mess up puppiez and kittenz when you are working with old-style hexed breedz.
New-style hexed breedz show up on their own in the adoption center. To use them, you just add them to your Resource\Dogz or Resource\Catz folder. Then the breed will appear on the list of breeds to choose from in the adoption center.
New style hexed breedz also show up seperatly in the Petz.com adoption center, causing chaos and confusion now that there are so many.
You can play with a petz of an old style hexed breed without having to get any special files, but you do need the breed files to play with a petz of a new hexed breed or any of its offspring.
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Q: Where can I get hexed breed files?
Hexed breedz are avalible at many petz sites (including this one - click here for MBC's Somali!). EPCPS has some of the most popular, including the Chinese Crested that I used as an example in the old FAQ. Petz Gallery also maintains a large collection. Explore a little! :)
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Q: I downloaded a new breed, and one of my old breedz disappeared!
Hexers make breeds appear on their own in the adoption center by changing the offset number. If more than one hexer uses the same number, then the two breeds will conflict. (This is similar to the problem with Creatures macro numbers, as any cobbler will realize! :)
Petz Gallery has a certification process for hexers - Petz Gallery Standard breeds will not conflict with other Petz Gallery Standard breeds, because Petz Gallery assigns offset numbers and keeps track of which numbers have been used. So if you're downloading hexed breeds that appear in the adoption center, look for the Petz Gallery seal - or take your chances!
There was a program that renumbered the breed files so that they didn't conflict, but it caused problems with already adopted petz (even if they were of the original PF Magic breeds, they couldn't find their breed files).
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Q: Can I make my own hexed breedz?
Anyone with a hex editor can make their own hexed breedz. There are many excellent tutorials about hexing avalible. Silver's Petz Site has started a series of tutorials, and you can use the search engine there to locate many other sites with hexing help.
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Q: How do I make my breeds show up in the adoption center?
I'm going to make you go to Petz Gallery for the answer for that one. Petz Gallery has a good step-by-step tutorial, and will assign you offset numbers to use.
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Hexed playscenes are new playscenes for your petz. P.F. Magic occasionally releases new playscenes, like the snow scene, but with hexed playscenes your petz can travel all over the world! Like hexed breeds, some playscenes replace old scenes, while others stand alone.
Some playscenes have bugs or disappointing graphics, however. A common glitch is that a playscene will cause the fireplace to stop working for unknown reasons. Other playscenes that are based on P.F. Magic scenes forgot to delete unused code, so you can plant flowers in the floor or something equally silly :)
Note: In Petz 4 anyone can create their own playscenes, so these questions refer to Petz 3.
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Playscene Paradise has a huge collection! Their goal is to have every playscene ever made, and they seem to be succeeding!
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"Time forwarding" is when someone advances the system clock to make their petz age quickly. For example, I play with my petz, exit the program, set the system clock forward a day, and open Petz again. I can raise a kitten from birth to full adult size in an hour. Sounds tempting, doesn't it? Read the next question before rushing off to try it.
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Q: Why are some people against it?
If you don't know what you are doing, you can really mess up both your petz and your computer. One of the most common scenarios is a stuck pregnancy, where a pregnant petz never gives birth to her baby, becoming fatter and fatter! Or, if you forget to play with a petz while you're time forwarding, it can be the same as forgetting to play with that petz for a month — they'll run away.
Other people are against time forwarding because they view it as 'cheating' and enjoy the challenge of raising a petz to adulthood. They are fond of pointing out that you miss seeing your petz grow up if you time forward.
However, I have never had a problem time forwarding, and I've never 'lost' a petz to a stuck pregnancy or any other problem. Just be very careful going backwards, and keep backups!
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Q: How do I fix a stuck pregnancy?
Time forward! Advance your petz past the date when it became stuck and it should eventually become un-stuck. Some sites reccomend advancing a year to cure most stuck pregnancies, but I have found that a few days are needed in addition to that. Have patience, and keep going :) After your petz is un-stuck, I'd suggest that you raise the kitten to adulthood before going back to the real date, just to be sure that their growth isn't stunted.
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Q. Why isn't there any more to this FAQ?
A. I got tired of typing. :)
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See www.petz.com for more about the Petz games! |
Want
to email cathy? Everything related to this site should go to evania@covingtoninnovations.com.
I can't check it very often, but I will make every effort to get back to you...
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