HOW TO JOIN
We understand that Railbirds might seem a little intimidating at first, but we're here to help!
This page is designed to help guide you as you get started in the game.
★ Step One: First, make sure that you have accounts on both Deviantart and Discord. You will need both of these in order to play the game - Deviantart is used as the central art/literature hub, while important announcements, updates, results, gameplay/roll mechanics, and more are posted on Discord.
Before you continue, please join the Discord server by clicking here: http://discord.gg/Q6Jsgvv (add your dA username to your server nickname please!)
- NOTE: If you're using a browser, please be sure to hit LOG IN rather than just entering by choosing a name - the latter will create a whole new account for some odd reason. :|
★ Step Two: Make sure you've read the Code of Conduct - by joining the group, you're agreeing to follow these rules. Once you've done that, take a look at the Colors & Patterns guide (you'll need it for the next step!). As a new player, you'll receive a free starter horse and 5,000 coins (Railbirds' in-game currency).
★ Step Three: Send the following form in the Discord's #membership channel (near the bottom of the channel list; The Backstretch -> MAIN OFFICE):
Username: dA username, please! this will be used to list you as the owner of your horses.
Phenotype: If you'd like, you can choose your starter horse's phenotype from any of the COMMON options, or you can request that an admin rolls a random common phenotype for you instead. Genotype: You may fill this out if you have a preference, or an admin can simply do it for you. Gender: Stallion, Gelding, or Mare Referred by: If you found Railbirds through a friend, advertisement journal, etc. please put their username here so they can receive their referral bonus! Only one person, please - if you saw multiple ads, art, etc, pick the one you saw first. Join Request: visit our Deviantart group and hit "Join Our Group" - paste the link* here! * To find the join request link: Go to your inbox and find the "Your request to join rail-birds Members is in the Approval Stage" message. In Classic DA, click on the Comments hyperlink. In Eclipse, hover over the message, click the "...", and select "View Log." |
★ Step Four: An admin will review your join request shortly. We recommend taking this time to glance over the Guidebook. This will provide more detail about various game mechanics, but don't worry - you are not at all required to memorize the Guidebook front to back. It is, however, a great resource to get a feel for how the game works and to clarify anything you may be confused about. Feel free to ask questions - we're happy to give you a hand!
★ Step Five: Once your join request has been processed, an admin will reply with a full description of your starter horse. Characteristics such as base stats, potential, tenacity, conformation, and so on are rolled using a custom generator. Once you've received this summary, your horse should be viewable on the Registry spreadsheet, and you should also have received ©5,000 from the server's bot (use "!bal" in #the-plaza to check your bank balance).
★ Step Six: To register your new horse, you'll need two things: (1) a design, and (2) a name.
★ Step Five: Once your join request has been processed, an admin will reply with a full description of your starter horse. Characteristics such as base stats, potential, tenacity, conformation, and so on are rolled using a custom generator. Once you've received this summary, your horse should be viewable on the Registry spreadsheet, and you should also have received ©5,000 from the server's bot (use "!bal" in #the-plaza to check your bank balance).
★ Step Six: To register your new horse, you'll need two things: (1) a design, and (2) a name.
(1) Design your horse on the official Railbirds lineart. Please keep in mind that you should not change the lineart itself (coloring the lines is fine) or the color of the halter. If you do not wish to design your horse on your own, feel free to have someone else do it via commission/request/etc. As long as you have permission to use the design and the designer is credited, we're cool with it! Be sure to fill out the ref info template as well.
(2) Your horse's name can be pretty much anything within reason (letters only, & anything exceptionally long, obscene, or offensive will be rejected, along with names of famous racehorses). Keep in mind that it must be unique, so be sure to check the Registry spreadsheet before deciding to ensure that it's available. Names that share some similarities (i.e. "The King's Sword" vs. "King's Dagger") are fine, but names that are too similar (i.e. "The King's Sword" vs. "A King's Sword") will be declined (this also includes likeness to famous horse names). This is ultimately up to admin discretion. |
Once you've gotten a name and a design down, head over to the #registration channel to submit your horse for approval.
★ Step Seven: After your horse is officially approved and registered, you're ready to start playing! Your best resources for getting into the swing of things will be the Guidebook and the Discord server - those two things will tell you everything you need to know. We recommend starting your new horse off with some Training to get it prepared for races!
★ Step Seven: After your horse is officially approved and registered, you're ready to start playing! Your best resources for getting into the swing of things will be the Guidebook and the Discord server - those two things will tell you everything you need to know. We recommend starting your new horse off with some Training to get it prepared for races!
Art by Karen Winters