New Member Guide
Welcome to Impulsion Sim! You've made it through the admissions process and you're now ready to start gameplay. Congratulations! Now what?
Impulsion caters to the mature player. The rules are fairly straight forward, but if you have never played a sim game before, starting out can be daunting. This game is based on the real world of animal management, and as a consequence, new members may be confused by the sheer number of policies connected to gameplay. We know it takes time to settle into a sim game and learn how things work, but we hope this Guide will alleviate some questions and make your entry into the game a little less intimidating.
Getting started
After you've registered for the game and completed the application process, you should receive an email welcoming you to the game and providing you with your login information. Once you have received this notice, go ahead login to the 'mane' site, your bank account and your account at the Community Center. When you log into your bank account for the first time, you should see your initial funds waiting for you.
At this point, you should also review the rules and guidelines, plus all other provided documentation found under the "Starting Out" heading. Be sure you understand what you've read - if you don't, ask! The surest way to make your experience less pleasant is to break a lot of rules in a short period of time because you're not sure what you're doing. Once you've established yourself as ignorant, it's hard to shake that reputation, so read the documentation provided and ask questions if you need to.
Quick Hint: If you have a question, search both the Q&A on the main site and the Q&A forum for answers before you ask.
Getting to know you - An effective introduction
Once you're sure your account is up and running like it should, introduce yourself in the Community Center. There is a forum just for introductions, so be sure you post your first topic in there.
Not quite sure what to say? In your introduction, tell us a little about yourself; don't just tell us your name and call it a day. We're a friendly group and we like to know who is playing the game with us. Tell us about your plans for the game, what breed or type of horses you'd like to own, and if you have any goals for them. If you have any pets in real life, tell us about them. If you feel comfortable with it, tell us a little about your life; your favorite class in school, what you want to be when you grow up, your family, whatever you'd like. There is no set length or template for your introduction, so be creative. Show us your true personality, and you'll be surprised how many people share your interests.
Quick Hint: When you login to the Community Center for the first time, take a minute to customize your profile.
Using The Equibank
Impulsion uses an online banking system called Equibank to track player finances. Equibank located under the "Business Center". Personal bank accounts are created automatically for new users, using the login information submitted in the joining application. Once your user account has been created, you may login at any time and check your transaction records and balances.
Each member begins the game with a set amount of money, depending on the option they selected during registration. Although it may seem like a lot of money, we recommend that you create a budget and stick to it. Even with a monthly salary, costs add up, so spend wisely.
Registering Animals
Animal ownership is an integral part of any simulated game. In Impulsion animals come into the game in one of three ways: they can be created, imported or bred. Imported animals exist outside the game prior to registration, while created animals don't. All animals must be registered with ECUID in order to exist in Impulsion.
As a new member, you'll probably want to either create or import some stock to start you out. New members are given credits upon joining to aid in building stock. To use these credits, simply head to the ECUID (Equine & Canine Universal Identification) and select either 'Register' or 'Import'. Using these forms, you may select every aspect and characteristic of your new animal. After you've submitted your request it usually takes about 24 hours to be processed - during this time your new animal will not show up in the ECUID but can be viewed by clicking on the 'My Pending Animals' link.
Quick Hint: When registering an animal, make sure you've selected the appropriate form and have filled it out completely. Imported animals who are registered as 'created' won't get to keep any show records or progeny listings!
Buying or Selling An Animal
Buying animals currently in play is a great way to build up your stock without using up credits. It also helps to reduce the number of unwanted animals in the game, while creating demand and boosting activity. To purchase an animal, your first step is to visit the "Advertisements" section of the Community Center. You'll find a forum called "For Sale or Lease", which is where you'll find some of the animals players are offering for sale. All you have to do is browse the listings until you find an animal that catches your eye. Don't see something you like? Try posting an ad describing your perfect animal on the 'Wanted' board.
Once you've found that perfect animal, email or PM the owner with an offer. Be sure to take any listed conditions into consideration, such as buybacks, contracts, etc. If they accept your offer, send them a check via the Equibank, and wait for them to transfer the animal to your account.
If you would like to sell an animal, simply post any relevant information in a topic on the "For Sale or Lease" forum. Once you accept an offer to purchase the animal(s) you're selling, it is your responsibility to transfer the horse to the new owner's account by. filling out a transfer form within one week of cashing the check.
Quick Hint: Before purchasing an animal, check the ECUID and make sure a registration number is available. An unregistered animal may not be used within the game, but it is the buyer's responsibility to verify the animal's status before purchase.
Breeding Your Animals
Another was to build up your stock without using credits there is always the option to breed two in-game animals together. You don't necessarily need to own two animals of the opposite sex to breed a foal or litter of pups - check out the 'Breeding Services' forum and find a stallion and/or a mare you like, or post a 'Wanted' ad, then contact the owner(s) of the animals and request permission for a breeding. There may be certain stipulations to follow, so make sure you are aware of them and agree before the breeding takes place.
Once you've finalized plans for a breeding, it's up to the owner of the mare or bitch to fill out the proper forms and transfer your brand new baby to your account.
Quick Hint: Some stables and kennels offer 'custom' breeding programs where they allow you to use their stock to breed a foal or puppy, so make sure you check web sites as well if you're looking to breed an animal!
Adopting An Animal
Adoption animals from the Humane Society is a great option for new players. We encourage players to check out animals in the Humane Society before creating because that there are some great animals to be found. Many have lengthy show records and great lineage which makes them excellent for players just starting out. Players start out with three Adoption Credits, and can trade other credits in for Adoption Credits at a 1-to-3 ratio, which means for every credit you exchange you get three Adoption Credits!
To adopt an animal, visit the Humane Society (HS) and click view available horses or available dogs. Alternatively, you can search the ECUID for animals owned by the HS. Once you've found the lucky animal, click 'Adopt Me!' to start the adoptions process. It usually takes about 48 hours to process your adoption form, so be patient.
Quick Hint: Not only does adopting give an unwanted animal a home, it also earns you Activity Incentive points!
Showing and Racing
Part of playing Impulsion is showing your animals actively and responsibly. To enter an animal in a show or race, simply visit the 'Upcoming Events' board in the Community Center and browse the listings for appropriate events. There are templates provided for hosts and entrants, so be sure you submit entries in the proper format. Make sure you've also read all the rules and guidelines specific to the event you're entering (you can find them under 'Shows and Events' in the "Member's Arena" tab), and that you've paid your entry fees on time.
Results are posted much the same way - show hosts are required to use a randomizer to generate show results, and then post the outcome in the 'Event Results' forum.
Making Money
Even with your initial funds and monthly salary, you may still find yourself wishing you had deeper pockets. There are several ways to make money in Impulsion, if you're willing to put in a little time and effort.
Hosting shows is a simple and fairly easy way to bring in some extra income. As the show's host you can charge entry fees for each animal another player enters. Make sure you check out similar shows so you don't set your fees too high or too low.
Another fairly simply way to increase your cash flow is to earn Activity Incentive points, which increases your monthly salary and earns you cash bonuses, or to perform tasks listed on the 'Boredom Board'.
There are also almost always other players who need help showing their animals, gathering show results or with their businesses who are willing to pay a small stipend. We've even had members auction off layouts and graphic design services. You can check out listings on the 'Employment' forum or post your own detailing what you'd be willing to do.
General Conduct, Netiquette and Common Sense
As a game for mature players, we place a lot of emphasis on good etiquette and proper behavior. Players are expected to use proper spelling, grammar and punctuation when conducting gameplay. Take the time to proof-read any posts and attempt to eliminate spelling errors or typos. Remember, on the internet we can't see you or hear you. We have no way of knowing if you're 10 or 54 , other than how you write. If you sound educated and adult, to us you will be. If you sound like you're still in first grade, you'll be that instead. You don't have to be perfect, but we'd appreciate it if your writing was pleasing to the eye and easy to read. Be nice to both our eyes and sensibilities and you'll be a valued player.
We expect players to conduct themselves as the adults they are, which means maintaining a courteous and gracious demeanor at all times. Don't get caught up in drama - if you're notice a problem, notify an official. If you are upset with another player, notify an official or PM the other player directly. Keep problems private, and don't forget that Impulsion's staff is always here to help.
Please do not spam the Community or hotlink images. Spamming is when a player purposely creates multiple threads for no reason other than to raise their post count. If you have questions, try to condense them into one topic. Not only does it look neater and save space on the server, but you are more likely to get a complete answer.
Hotlinking is when a player posts an image they have not uploaded to their own web space. Hotlinking is stealing - there's no way around it. When you hotlink a graphic, your taking someone's bandwidth without the permission. Bandwidth is expensive, and people tend to be pretty annoyed when their bill comes in with $200 extra dollars in bandwidth on it because of a game.
Quick Hint: Type your post in Microsoft Word, spell check it and then copy it over to the Community. If you use Firefox or have a Mac, you can download an add-on that spell checks everything you type, right in the browser window.
Who to contact if you have questions, comments or concerns
As a new player, you will no doubt have many questions concerning Impulsion. That's fine - we encourage you to ask questions about anything that's confusing to you. Before you ask, make sure you've checked out the documentation provided on the 'mane' site, including the Questions & Answers section and the rules and guidelines. You should also check the Questions & Answers forum at the Community Center for answers to your question. If you're still stumped, ask your question on the forum.
If you feel that another player won't know the answer to your question, or it's too personal to ask on the public forum, you should contact Merrie or Mareike directly.
Quick Hint: Don't be afraid to instant message another player who has their instant messenger contact information listed in their profile to ask a question, say hello or introduce yourself.