Type1Tigger
Earning My Ears
- Joined
- Feb 25, 2009
- Messages
- 30
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Shine on
-----------YOU'RE BEAUTIFUL
Shine on
-----------YOU'RE BEAUTIFUL
Twilight Enchantment Epic Quest Day 1
Starts 7:00 AM, Sunday, September 28th, 2008
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Twilight, or the period just after sunset when the soft light is fading away to darkness has long been considered a magical time. It marks the time when the world "transforms" from day to night, and is symbolic in oral traditions of any kind of complete change.
Today we will embark on a 7 day epic quest to be able to assume the form of an animal shape. Ancient and indigenous cultures believe in "shape-shifting." Australian aboriginal elders are said to have the ability to shape-shift, and it is fundamental to the dreamtime foundations of their beliefs.
With Twilight enchantment, we will be able to "magically" assume the form of animals from birds in the air to creatures below the sea and a wide range of animals in-between.
The first animal that comes with your Twilight Enchantment will be the Wolf. With your Twilight Enchantment, you will be able to aquire additional wildlife shapes, as they become available.
Since October is also Halloween month, we will be finding out about the animals that are most closely associated with Halloween.
The Twilight Enchantment Epic Quest will be available throughout October. You can begin the quest anytime you wish during the end of this month and at anytime during October, and upon completion you will receive your Twilight Enchantment.
This first quest includes a reward of 1,000 credits and the first Twilight Enchantment pin, the Wolf Pin! As you complete each stage of this Epic Quest, you will receive a unique reward and the next Twilight Pin.
Each day you can complete the next step in the Epic Quest, receiving your new rewards and progressing towards enchantment.
The Twilight Enchantment lasts as long as you wish and you can start and end it at any time.
We hope you enjoy our new Epic Quest and the Twilight Enchantment!
Merfolk Enchantment Epic Quest Day 7
Starts 7:00 AM, Saturday, September 13th, 2008
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Our epic journey continues with our seventh quest!
Get ready to head out on your last quest for Merfolk Enchantment. The history of Merfolk is ancient and well founded and references to them are consistently present in our history over time, right alongside dragons and fairies. Over thousands of years from our earliest recorded history, people have told tales of merfolk. In our quest today, we will explore the history of merfolk and their undersea rulers.
Your reward for completing this quest is 1,000 credits and the Merfolk Enchantment Pin!
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For those who missed previous days in our epic journey, you can pick up where you left off anytime during the month of September.
Note: The Crystal Cave Sea Store will open later today with Mer-furniture and exciting Merfolk Enchantments!
Merfolk Enchantment Epic Quest Day 6
Starts 7:00 AM, Friday, September 12th, 2008
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Our epic journey continues with our sixth quest!
Whether deep water or shallow, the seas are home to a myriad of fascinating creatures. From the tiniest plankton and fish to the largest whales and giant squid, the sea is filled with interesting animals. For our quest today, we will explore some of the most intriguing creatures that share the seas and oceans with our merfolk!
Your reward for completing this quest is 1,000 credits and the sixth pin in the Merfolk Collection, the Starfish Pin!
For those who missed previous days in our epic journey, you can pick up where you left off anytime during the month of September.
Perhaps most importantly, this is your sixth step toward achieving Merfolk Enchantment!
Merfolk Enchantment Epic Quest Day 5
Starts 7:00 AM, Thursday, September 11th, 2008
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Our epic journey continues with our fifth quest!
In today's quest we will enter the facinating world of shipwrecks, and find out some of the history behind both famous and not so famous shipwrecks throughout history.
Once sunk below the waves, these ships create a magical underwater haven for living creatures. In tropical zones, the ships create a firm footing for the development of reefs. In other regions, the wrecks create an environment where fish prosper. For our quest today, we will explore the stunning backdrop of shipwrecks in the undersea world of merfolk!
Your reward for completing this quest is 1,000 credits and the fifth pin in the Merfolk Collection, the Shipwreck Pin!
For those who missed previous days in our epic journey, you can pick up where you left off anytime during the month of September.
Perhaps most importantly, this is your fifth step toward achieving Merfolk Enchantment!
Merfolk Enchantment Epic Quest Day 4
Starts 7:00 AM, Wednesday, September 10th, 2008
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Our epic journey continues with our fourth quest!
In today's quest we will explore one of the most colorful and diverse underwater wonderlands ever, coral reefs. Merfolk have been associated with these underwater structures made by living creatures for centuries. You can just imagine merfolk swimming through the clear water amongst the towering reef rocks and making their homes in the maze of coral. For our quest today, we will be finding some of the amazing facts of coral reefs and the animals that build them!
Your reward for completing this quest is 1,000 credits and the fourth pin in the Merfolk Collection, the Coral Reef Pin!
For those who missed previous days in our epic journey, you can pick up where you left off anytime during the month of September.
Perhaps most importantly, this is your fourth step toward achieving Merfolk Enchantment!
Merfolk Enchantment Epic Quest Day 3
Starts 7:00 AM, Tuesday, September 9th, 2008
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Our epic journey continues with our third quest!
For the third day of our quest for Merfolk Enchantment, we will explore another mysterious undersea creature that is heavily associated with merfolk: Giant Clams. There are any number of fantastic tales about the giant shells and huge priceless pearls. In our quest today, we will go on an adventure to discover what is fact and what is fantasy about the incredible giant clam!
Your reward for completing this quest is 1,000 credits and the third pin in the Merfolk Collection, the Giant Clam Pin!
For those who missed Day 1 or Day 2 in our epic journey, you can pick up where you left off anytime during the month of September.
Perhaps most importantly, this is your third step toward achieving Merfolk Enchantment!
Merfolk Enchantment Epic Quest Day 2
Starts 7:00 AM, Monday, September 8th, 2008
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Our epic journey continues with our second quest! One of the largest creatures in the ocean is the whale.
Whales have been around for over 50 million years, and their sheer size has inspired awe and fear and much speculation about their habits and lives. On this second day of our epic quest, we will explore some of the facts and mystery behind the great whales of the sea!
Your reward for completing this quest is 1,000 credits and the second pin in the Merfolk Collection, the Whale Pin!
For those who missed Day 1 in our epic journey, you can pick up where you left off anytime during the month of September.
Perhaps most importantly, this is your second step toward achieving Merfolk Enchantment!
Legends in History Month, Tall Tales Quest
7:00 AM Pacific Time, Sunday, August 24, 2008 to 10:00 PM Pacific Time, Monday, August 25, 2008
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Tall tales and legends are a special type of exaggerated story that can arise from the overactive imagination of a single storyteller to the collective tales of a town or region which take on a life of their own. Often tales start out loosely based on fact and can expand out of all proportion as one story teller tries to outdo another. Such stories may be based on a real person or event, or be completely fabricated. Whatever the origin, tall tales tend to be entertaining stories to tell to children or as in the case of the headless horseman, a chilling tale to give you "goose-bumps" when sitting around a campfire on a warm summer night.
So get your marshmallows and a nice marshmallow roasting stick and gather round the campfire while we go on this quest for some of the tallest tales ever told!
Your reward for completing this quest will be 1,000 credits and a Saguaro Cactus!
Legends in History Epic Journey Day 6
Starts 7:00 AM Friday August 8, 2008
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This is the sixth day of your epic quest for fairy enchantment! Today's quest explores some of the history behind one of the most popular legends of the sea, mermaids!
These exotic and beautiful half-human, half-fish beings have surfaced in art and literature for centuries. These fictional aquatic beings get their name from the old English word for sea, or 'mere', and 'maid' which means a girl. So get out your net and let's start on a quest to find the truth about these enchanting merfolk, without falling prey to the their powers of enchantment along the way!
Your reward for completing this quest is 1,000 credits and the sixth pin in the Legends in History Collection, the Mermaid Pin!
For those who missed previous days in our epic journey, you can pick up where you left off anytime during the month of August.
Perhaps most importantly, this is your sixth step toward achieving Fairy Enchantment!
Legends in History Epic Journey Day 5
Starts 7:00 AM Thursday August 7, 2008
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This is the fifth day of your epic quest for fairy enchantment! Today's quest seeks to explore the depths of the ocean, and delve into the history of some of the most interesting legendary sea creatures!
All peoples living next to the sea tell tales of immense monsters inhabiting the waters. Perhaps the tales originate from actual creatures living below the surface of the ocean, or just fabricated stories caused by one too many days swabbing the deck, but however they arise, they are fascinating!
Your reward for completing this quest is 1,000 credits and the fifth pin in the Legends in History Collection, the Sea Monster Pin!
For those who missed previous days in our epic journey, you can pick up where you left off anytime during the month of August.
Perhaps most importantly, this is your fifth step toward achieving Fairy Enchantment!
Legends in History Epic Journey Day 4
Starts 7:00 AM Wednesday August 6, 2008
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This is the fourth day of your epic quest for fairy enchantment! Today's quest centers around one of the most beloved legendary animals of all time, the Unicorn!
Your reward for completing this quest is 1,000 credits and the fourth pin in the Legends in History Collection, the Unicorn Pin!
For those who missed previous days in our epic journey, you can pick up where you left off anytime during the month of August.
Perhaps most importantly, this is your fourth step toward achieving Fairy Enchantment!
Legends in History Epic Journey Day 3
Starts 7:00 AM Tuesday August 5, 2008
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Our epic journey continues with our third quest! Today's quest will seek to explore the legends and history behind 'Merlin the Magician'!
Was he a real person? Was he a fictional character? Be prepared to be dazzled by this legendary person and find out some of the truth about the origins of Merlin.
Your reward for completing this quest is 1,000 credits and the third pin in the Legends in History Collection, the Dragon Pin!
For those who missed Day 1 or Day 2 in our epic journey, you can pick up where you left off anytime during the month of August.
Perhaps most importantly, this is your third step toward achieving Fairy Enchantment!
Legends in History Epic Journey Day 2
Starts 7:00 AM Sunday August 4, 2008
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Our epic journey continues with our second quest! This quest seeks to discover a knowledge of dragons in legend and lore.
Dragons have been both kind and brutal, and our second quest seeks to discover something of the nature of dragons.
Your reward for completing this quest is 1,000 credits and the second pin in the Legends in History Collection.
For those who missed Day 1 in our epic journey, you can pick up where you left off anytime during the month of August.
Perhaps most importantly, this is your second step toward achieving Fairy Enchantment!
Legends in History Epic Journey Day 1
Starts 7:00 AM Sunday August 3, 2008
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Legends spring from a time which in many cases predates even the earliest recorded history. They tell of peoples and places which are often difficult for us to even imagine in our present world. However, these legends were very real to our ancestors and played a significant part in their culture and beliefs.
Fairies have now come to our world and each of us will have the opportunity to experience the wonders of flight and fancy that defines the legends surrounding fairy lore.
However, some things in life can not be bought with gold or silver, but must instead be earned. This is true for the enchantment which makes experiencing the awe and mystery of fairies possible.
To obtain this enchantment we have created an Epic Quest which will be available throughout August. You can begin the quest anytime you wish during this month and upon completion you will receive your fairy enchantment.
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There are seven quests, each with a unique reward, some of which will be needed for the next step in your journey. The first quest includes a reward of 1,000 credits and the first Legend Pin. As each quest is completed, you will receive a unique reward and the next Legend Pin.
Each day you can complete the next step in the Epic Quest, receiving your new rewards and progressing towards enchantment.
Upon completion of the Epic Quest your reward will be fairy enchantment. This enchantment also comes with a fairy room which opens onto a fairy world. There is also a shop where you can get clothes for your fairy!
The fairy enchantment lasts as long as you wish and you can start and end it at any time.
We hope you enjoy our new Epic Quest and the enchantment of Fairies!
Freedom Through Time Quest
7:00 A.M. Pacific Time, Sunday, July 20th to 10:00 P.M. Pacific Time Monday July 21st, 2008
Enjoy a time traveling adventure where we discover the struggle for freedom throughout history, including our new Australian setting.
Of course, what would traveling throughout time and space be without the right equipment?
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Your reward this week for completing the quest is our first set of Teleporters! These teleporters make it possible for you to teleport between any member rooms.
This can be two of your own rooms, or you can give one of the teleporters to a friend, and then you can teleport to each others rooms any time, even when your friend is not online!
These are great for building mazes, and labyrinths!
The set today is the Marlin's Magma-porter. In addition, you will receive a reward of 1,000 credits!
Australian Walkabout Quest
Date Correction: 7:00 A.M. Pacific Time, Sunday, July 13th to 10:00 P.M. Pacific Time Monday, July 14th, 2008
G'day mates! It's time to go walkabout on our first VFK Australian quest. Australia has so many amazing sights to learn about on our adventures from the Great Barrier Reef to the distinctive Sydney skyline with the famous Sydney Opera House,
We will then trek to the back of Bourke and discover the black stump. From there we can journey to the Aboriginal's most sacred site - Uluru or as others call it Ayers Rock. You will learn ancient Aboriginal legends and discover the name the Aboriginals have for a big party.
Their unique animals such as the boxing kangaroos (careful, they really do box), furry koalas and incredible platypuses are found only in their part of the world. So, pack your vegemite sandwiches, put on your akubra, saddle up your brumby and let's head for the outback for an amazing adventure down under.
A Word from Sara
July 10th, 2008
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As we research our period wardrobes, we are also starting to test several of our newest creations. We were so pleased to have CynAnne accept our latest creation, the Princess or Damsel Hat, as a birthday gift and agree to test it for everyone.
As we researched the Princess or Damsel Hat, we discovered that its origin is somewhat shrouded in mystery, though it appears to be reasonably prominent in artwork beginning in the 15th century, especially among royalty.
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There is also an interesting article about this type of hat on wikipedia under the term hennin, which also includes a number of examples of artwork displaying the Damsel Hat.
This is a very popular style of hat in theatrical productions and reenactments and if you would like one in real life, you can find numerous theatrical costume shops who sell them. Some of them are quite beautifully designed, and would honor any princess![]()
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Of the numerous examples we reviewed in creating our Princess Hat for the many Princesses in our Kingdom, we liked the painting by Thomas Reynolds Lamont titled “The Prince's Choice??? the best. Our graphic artists fell in love with this painting and it became the inspiration for our Princess Hat.
We imagine that CynAnne and our other princesses would all have been “The Prince's Choice??? with this hat!
Sara
Virtual Family Kingdom
A Note from the Developers and Graphic Artists
July 10th, 2008
We want to thank everyone for their great feedback on our new Fourth of July Fireworks game. We began developing this game shortly after we started this project. During the development of the game we reviewed numerous fireworks games dating back to the turn of the century. We also wanted to place our fireworks game at historical points in history that are the basis for our present day Fireworks displays. While some of you have already noticed much of this, we thought we would share some of the behind the scenes research and development that went into the making of our Fourth of July Fireworks game.
Firework games have historically tended to break down into three primary categories. The first category required the player to select a firework just as it was set to explode. A second category required the player to select the firework by color or type just at the moment of explosion. The third category was the coordinated firework game which used a combination of both the first and second. There were also a number of somewhat related games which were more focused on rockets and bombardment, but which followed this general scheme of play.
After reviewing all of these fireworks games, we decided that the most interesting was a coordinated approach. However, we wanted to add the ability to explode the firework as it ascended and not just at the moment of apex. This gives each player a greater range of strategies when deciding how to play a game.
The play of the game was also defined to some extent by our selection of the 1812 Overture for our music, as we wanted the number of fireworks to coordinate with the music. We also wanted the beginning levels to match the beginning of the musical piece and then build as did the music at each level.
We also selected our scenes to be reminiscent of the period involved. For instance, in the lobby for the game we find the verdure of a native forest much as you would have found in upstate New York in the year 1776. Many do not realize that New York was a dense forest of native trees at this time and impassible except on foot or by using the natural rivers and streams.
As the scenes progress in our fireworks game you will notice the transition to the depiction of the Battle at Baltimore during the war of 1812. At this time Ft. McHenry was under attack from 19 British ships, some with notable names such as the HMS Terror, the HMS Devastation, the HMS Erebus, the HMS Volcano and the HMS Meteor. It was on the fateful night of September 13th, 1814 that Francis Scott Key watched the bombardment of Ft. McHenry by these British vessels and wondered if on the following morning the United States flag would still be flying over Ft. McHenry. Indeed in the end, it was the American flag that that still flew, and Key wrote the words to the Star Spangled Banner, which became our national anthem.
For those who had the opportunity to participate in our Fourth of July Quest, you will remember that the flag which flew over Ft. McHenry was 30 ft by 42 ft in size and was made by a mother and her young daughter, Caroline, who was only 13 years old at the time. In addition, Caroline's grandmother had also made flags for our new country during the revolutionary war.
We end the game with a view from a castle in honor of Tchaikovsky who wrote our musical selection. The 1812 Overture was originally written to inspire a love of Freedom in his native Russia, but has since become a standard to celebrate Freedom and Firework displays everywhere.
Again, we thank all of you who have told us about how much you enjoy our new Fourth of July fireworks game, and we hope our introduction in the game, the scenes and the music will inspire players to consider the history which this game represents and learn more about the times and the men and women that made freedom today possible.
Your Development Team
Virtual Family Kingdom
PS. For those who enjoy a bit of historical detail, you might notice the American and British flags during one of the depictions of the Battle of Baltimore in the game.