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Post by patchlamb on Dec 15, 2019 17:26:21 GMT -5
Helloooo RKC! First I'll start off by saying it's nice to meet you all, because I love the old Petz games with all my heart! I played them as a small child in elementary school. I was far too young to understand hexing but I tried haha! And sometimes, though I'm not much in the fandom or community, I like to look through the communities cute petz that they've bred. Now onto business: The Fanlore page for your lovely little fandom needs info straight from the fandom's mouth, because I sadly can't write that for you since I wasn't in it. Alas, I was a wee baby when the games were released and in full swing. Fanlore is just a big wiki for fandom culture documentation, run by the same great folk who run Archive of Our Own. Petz is seems like such an old and rich video game fandom that it absolutely needs its page filled in more, and that's why I joined the forum! If you want to contribute directly you can register on the website and instantly be able to click the "edit" button on the Petz page. You can fill in or add whatever fandom info that you think needs to be documented. Otherwise, if you don't feel up to joining the site itself, you can also just answer some questions below and I'll use your information on the fandom's page. Just remember that this is all public, so don't give away any info you wouldn't want readily available here or on the page. Multiple people can reply to the questions below. 1. When did you first begin playing Petz? Which game was it? Where did you get it or hear about it?2. How did you first get into the actual Petz fandom, and when?3. If you are a hexer, where did you learn how to hex? Where did you get the software?4. What were some of the first websites and/or forums for the Petz games?5. What were some activities you used to do on these websites/forums? Forum games, creation contests, breed shows, anything like that?6. Could you tell me about any significant fandom history events? Such things like yearly live stream parties, fandom drama, the first time someone hexed a pet?7. Anything else cool you think ought to go into the Fanlore page? If you're able to either edit the page directly or answer my questions I'd be very grateful. I make a lot of Fanlore pages and hope to see this one expanded and filled out.
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Post by Sasha on Dec 16, 2019 1:44:50 GMT -5
This is such a great idea , however I feel like since it's about petz and the petz community it fits better in the petz talk board! moving
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Post by patchlamb on Dec 17, 2019 15:51:57 GMT -5
Thanks, I hope I can get some replies and get the page more filled out!
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Post by odiepinkiepuppiez on Dec 27, 2019 22:04:33 GMT -5
This is so cool! My answers: 1. When did you first begin playing Petz? Which game was it? Where did you get it or hear about it? I first started playing Petz in 2017 with Petz 4 (it works on Arch Linux, my main OS, with Wine). I heard about Petz from various virtual pet sites, as well as Wikipedia. 2. How did you first get into the actual Petz fandom, and when? A little while after installing Petz 4 and playing it, I joined the RKC Petz Forums. 3. If you are a hexer, where did you learn how to hex? Where did you get the software? I haven't hexed anything yet, but I've been learning how to from Carolyn's site, and the VPZ Research Center's free codes. I got Pet Workshop, PetzA and LNZ Pro from Sherlock Software, and I use the hex editor GHex on Arch Linux. 4. What were some of the first websites and/or forums for the Petz games? I joined the community in 2017, so I have no idea. 5. What were some activities you used to do on these websites/forums? Forum games, creation contests, breed shows, anything like that? Again, joined in 2017, so didn't do anything on those. 6. Could you tell me about any significant fandom history events? Such things like yearly live stream parties, fandom drama, the first time someone hexed a pet? An OFFICIAL interview with a Petz developer! A Petz Hexing and Modding Discord was started after this thread was made
7. Anything else cool you think ought to go into the Fanlore page? Include why Horsez and Hamsterz are not included within the fandom (because the games after Petz 5, made by Ubisoft, don't have the charming graphics, sophisticated AI or some of the cool features the P.F. Magic games have), Oddballz and Babyz info maybe (even though they're spinoffs; info on them can be found on an old Oddballz fansite, Carolyn's Creations, my Petz fanpage, the Petz Wiki, and YouTube videos), and also a cool trivia fact: Nicholas Sherlock's sister is the creator of the online virtual pet site, Chicken Smoothie
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Post by Alexzander on Dec 28, 2019 12:58:57 GMT -5
1. When did you first begin playing Petz? Which game was it? Where did you get it or hear about it? Started out with Dogz 3 back in 1998. I picked it out for my birthday in October of that year. I was 13 xD I installed it on an old Packard Bell desktop with DIAL UP internet! lolol I think I got Dogz 3 from a GameStop-type store but it was called something else back then. I remember clutching that box and being all "I must have this game!" but it was $20 and I really didn't want to ask my dad for something so expensive. Ah, how times change!
2. How did you first get into the actual Petz fandom, and when? I logged on to petz.com and was looking at the old "match code" thing and came across a borzoi that matched. I downloaded that dog and was appauled to find out I couldn't use her because I didn't have the breed file! Absolutely heartbroken I went to ask jeeves because Google wasn't a thing yet and came across the website and after waiting like... five minutes... for the breed file to download because dial up in the late 90s was absolute hell, I could get borzoi! After that I was on that site and ended up wandering around. Back then there were newsletters and websites aplenty and oh man, I'm old.
3. If you are a hexer, where did you learn how to hex? Where did you get the software? I learned from fiddling and some absolute basics from Mojokins back in the day, via AIM! I can't remember for the life of me what programme I used, but I started with furfiles and simple colour swaps. Then I taught myself addballz and started messing with ball sizes, linez flow, and now the insanity is real.
4. What were some of the first websites and/or forums for the Petz games? Oh geez I don't even remember. It's been 20 years! I know a ton of folks had angelfire.com and geocities.com websites and RKC was around in the early days, but I avoided it because it was SO big and busy and lots of drama. I also avoided the Petz Community Gathering (PCG) because of the cliques and drama. It took me a couple years to join the Petz Kennel Club (PKC) and I went back and forth. When I first joined PKC they sent you a certificate of registration graphic and everything, which I thought was just the /coolest/ thing on the planet.
5. What were some activities you used to do on these websites/forums? Forum games, creation contests, breed shows, anything like that? I did an obscene amount of showing. I'm fiercely competitive and it was so much fun to do pose shows. I also started in breed conformation, petz citizen and breed/group premiers in PKC.
6. Could you tell me about any significant fandom history events? Such things like yearly live stream parties, fandom drama, the first time someone hexed a pet? Oh the drama is unbelievable. I stayed the hell away from it and kept to myself, and it's really only been since I've been over 21 -cough- 2006 -cough- that I started poking around on some of the places I had previously avoided. The community still has a little drama, but most of us are 21+ now and don't take the BS from the kiddos. I can safely say that I am old enough to be some of y'all's father.
7. Anything else cool you think ought to go into the Fanlore page? Nope!
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Post by patchlamb on Dec 28, 2019 17:09:52 GMT -5
Wonderful! Both replies with lots of info! Anyone else is still also free to reply, because it's good to have multiple sources and examples. Thanks!
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Post by Alexzander on Dec 28, 2019 20:49:16 GMT -5
I am very old in terms of petz XD I felt like I should have been in a rocking chair with a cane, reminiscing about the early 2000s to you young 'uns.
-goes to crawl into a hole-
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Post by Kel on Dec 29, 2019 23:14:01 GMT -5
1. When did you first begin playing Petz? Which game was it? Where did you get it or hear about it? I first started playing Petz in October 2000. It was Petz 3, both Dogz & Catz discs. I heard about it from my best friend who brought the game over to my house. I had just started 9th grade and the household had got its very first computer, mine, a Compaq Presario with Windows 98. So my friend was like "Hey, this game came free with my computer and it has to do with animals, and knowing how much you love animals I think you'd really enjoy it!" So she brought it over and installed it and we played it. And yeah, from there I was hooked.
2. How did you first get into the actual Petz fandom, and when? It didn't take too long for me to find out about the community, most likely through the petz.com website and doing some web searching. But basically it was sometime the following year, either early to mid 2001 when I joined the PC.
3. If you are a hexer, where did you learn how to hex? Where did you get the software? Ehh... I'm not much of a hexer, still quite a beginner in that realm. However, I have messed around with the breedfiles and a clothing file or two, making minor modifications and trying to learn. I'm learning through various tutorials throughout the PC and by asking questions on forums. I mainly use LNZ Pro and Tinker for that and got it from Sherlock Software.
4. What were some of the first websites and/or forums for the Petz games? This is a hard one as I wasn't around for the start of the PC, but I remember others talking about the oldie sites and members that used to exist, and seeing some of what was left of those relics. Silver Moon Petz Caberet, Leaping Frog Inc., Carolyn's Creations, APKC, etc
5. What were some activities you used to do on these websites/forums? Forum games, creation contests, breed shows, anything like that? Petz shows were SUPER active and popular way back in the day, not like today. Forums weren't much of a thing until a little later. I think there used to be contests where people had to make a themed graphic with their petz? It's hard to remember.
6. Could you tell me about any significant fandom history events? Such things like yearly live stream parties, fandom drama, the first time someone hexed a pet? Lotttsss of drama, and "cliques". And by that I mean members of the PC that were considered elite and tended to snub their noses up at others, usually it was because they were the early few who managed to figure out how to do things the majority couldn't yet, such as hex petz, or make amazing layouts.
7. Anything else cool you think ought to go into the Fanlore page? Nothing comes to mind.
If you haven't already, it would probably be a good idea to also post this questionnaire at other places too, like Whiskerwick, or on any of the petz discord servers, or especially the facebook community group. It's a private group but the folks there might be much much better at answering questions #4-6.
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Post by commander on Dec 30, 2019 19:30:18 GMT -5
1. When did you first begin playing Petz? Which game was it? Where did you get it or hear about it?
It was early in 1998, around the time we got our new computer. I personally first heard about the games through the stuffed animals (even though the stuffed animals were created after the games) and from there wanted the games once we actually finally had a computer that could play them lol. I started with the original Dogz and Catz games (technically, my brother played Catz, while I played Dogz). We got Dogz and Catz 2 around summer of that year. Dogz and Catz 3 came out in the fall of 1998, I think, but we didn't get those games until that Christmas. I'm pretty sure I got Petz 4 and 5 pretty much right when they came out.
2. How did you first get into the actual Petz fandom, and when?I've been lurking on Petz websites ever since probably my Dogz 2 days. I passively participated from the beginning, via adopting Petz from websites, entering shows, entering graphics contests (with my horrible "MS paint creations by a twelve-year-old" submissions), etc. I think I joined a few forums here and there, but I wouldn't say that I really got into the major online Petz community until 2013, and I've been here off and on ever since then.
3. If you are a hexer, where did you learn how to hex? Where did you get the software?Not a hexer.
4. What were some of the first websites and/or forums for the Petz games? I'm not necessarily saying that these were the first websites, but these are the ones I remember the most from my earliest Petz playing days: Anso's Petz was probably my favorite. I see other people have mentioned Carolyn's Creations, but before she had her own webspace, Anso's was the first place to download her breeds. The site also had a lot of downloads and useful information. Silver's Petz Page always had a lot of neat adoptions as well. Sand'z Cattery had a lot of unique Petz and breeds too, as well as lots of neat graphics. Velvet Pawz had cute Petzie graphics, and a cute mascot lol. APKC has already been mentioned--they always had lots of user submitted content like adoptions, litters, "dating services", etc. Sara's Petz Page was another fun site with lots of downloadable Petz, both bred and hexed, along with useful game information.
Again, I'm not saying this is a conclusive list of the major Petz websites in the late 90's/early 2000's, but they are the ones that I remember the most as a tween/teen Petz player. 5. What were some activities you used to do on these websites/forums? Forum games, creation contests, breed shows, anything like that?
Well, until relatively recently, I was pretty passive. I downloaded a lot of Petz, and I'd fill out adoption forms for unique ones that I really wanted. I did showing sporadically, even though I only had one Petz I showed lol
6. Could you tell me about any significant fandom history events? Such things like yearly live stream parties, fandom drama, the first time someone hexed a pet?Honestly I don't remember much of the drama others have talked about. When I think about significant events in Petz community history, the one that springs the most to my mind happened less than a year ago, when Reflet introduced PetFlux, allowing conversion of Petz 5 pet files back into Petz 3/4 files, finally bringing backwards compatibility, something that a lot of us figured was never going to happen. Speaking as someone who had the vast majority of her oldest Petz stuck in 5, this was a huge deal to me lol
7. Anything else cool you think ought to go into the Fanlore page? Can't think of anything, but I'll update if I do!
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Post by Thor on Jan 1, 2020 0:07:34 GMT -5
@ 6) I mean I wasn't around at all for any of these events, but like wouldn't the invention of PetzA and LNZPro and PetzWorkshop by Nicolas Sherlock all count as significant fandom history events?? Like his software gave everyone the ability to - edit the LNZ without a hex editor and some other awesome things with LNZ Pro - visually hex a breed file - breeding projects became less tedious because you needn't mess around with your computer clock ?
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Post by Alexzander on Jan 1, 2020 0:42:46 GMT -5
Oh I remember the days of time forwarding!!! I have to say the 'instant mate' feature of petza is probably the BEST thing ever for me since I breed litters for PKC. I remember the days of having to get the petz in love and copy mom a few times then breed and breed and breed, then time forward a BUNCH. It was so tedious!
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Post by Thor on Jan 1, 2020 3:19:10 GMT -5
I'd love to hear more stories about when PetzA/PW/LNZPro/Tinker all first dropped and people's reactions to it x3 Thanks for sharing that!
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Post by Alexzander on Jan 2, 2020 12:22:40 GMT -5
Well I can safely say I can only use pet workshop for paintball adding, although I *can* and *have* hand-coded paintballz. It sucks like none other and I hate it lol. I've never done Tinker either, but I use LNZ alllll the time. I was accustomed to using hex editors before, but one made more specifically for Petz editing, with the information all neatly separated out was a big bonus! Plus the ability to fix trotting/sleepy sickness and FLEAS.
I think of all though, PetzA is the best of the lot. I wouldn't be able to play without it on newer systems and I happen to need my petz in my life (saying this as I have 16 pounds of black cat draped across my wrists xD). The features of multiple petz out, the quick feed feature since my dogz would like... never... freaking eat, and the remove neglect slider are probably my most used since I don't boot every profile every day. The neuter/unneuter is great too, as I keep my petz desexed unless I am ready to do a litter and I don't breed /that/ often anymore. I like bringing out 20+ kuvasz and my screen is just a rolling ocean of white and ivory and cream with splashes of black noses and brown eyes lol.
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Post by commander on Jan 2, 2020 19:45:54 GMT -5
You know, I played Petz long before PetzA... but I honestly don't remember specifically finding out about it/using it for the first time? lol. I guess it was so long ago my memory's kind of shot. I want to say it came out around 2005/2006 or so, and I wasn't playing Petz as much then, although I definitely had it by 2008 at the latest when I studied abroad and spent a lot of time on my laptop breeding muttlies between classes lol.
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Post by patchlamb on Jan 3, 2020 17:01:14 GMT -5
Thanks for more replies, slowly but surely adding info to the fanlore! I have a question though: in some replies and on other forums members say "PC" when referring to the fandom. What does this stand for? Petz Craze?
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