Post by Mikoli on Jan 13, 2009 22:40:25 GMT 10
This guide is incomplete.
This guide is for approved race organisers only. You may, however, use this guide to host your own races on different websites or forums.
Holding Your First Sprint Race.
Why a Sprint Race?
Sprint Races are the easiest races to run, because you don't have to make any turns. It might sound easy to get a bunch of dogs running across the screen, but when you have to control three or four dogs at the one time, and ensuring that they start and finish at the same basic time is quite a task.
The Running of The Race
Ignore the crapiness of the pictures. You get the idea, it was too late at night and my brain wasn't working.
Step One: PICTURE. Get your dogs attention by calling them with your hand. Get them to follow you around at a run for a few laps, if you want, so that they are really listening to you. Then, move the hand to the far left-hand side of the screen.
Step Two: PICTURE. While they are all on the left hand side of the screen, preferably nearest the bottom, move your cursor slightly above them, and then call. Raise it slightly as they start trotting after your hand. This is to get them listening to you before you start the race, and to prepare them to start running. They should only be trotting slowly after your hand, so keep it only slightly above them. Alternatively, you can start at the top and make them jog towards the bottom of the screen. It really does not make a difference.
Step Three: PICTURE. When you feel that all the dogs are listening to you and you are ready to start the race (don't worry where on the track they are, it won't make a difference), quickly dart your hand to the far right hand side of the screen, calling the dogs while you do so. They will turn and start racing towards your hand and towards the finish line.
Step Four: PICTURE. As the dogs are running, either keep calling or stop, depending on how you like to run your races. If all the dogs are listening to you, they should continue running.
Now, after the start, you might find that some dogs do not start, and choose to run in a circle, or stop, or you'll get a false start, or something will go wrong that means that one of the dogs is ruining the race. This will happen pretty much every time you hold a race, so don't expect to get it right your first try. If something does go wrong, in a sprint race or average length race, just restart the race until you have a smooth run. Once you start getting into the higher grades, you can be a bit less tolerant, and if a dog consistently runs around, just run the race with the dogs that are co-operating, regardless of if the other dog runs at all or not.
Step Five: PICTURE. As the dogs are approaching the finish line, and just as they are going over it, take a picture. Before the race starts, set your photo settings to include the background in the photo (so you can see the finish line), and to "Take Both Petz" (so that all the dogz end up in the photo finish). Regardless of whether it is really a photo finish or not, people like to see a picture of their dog going over the finish line, and it does help to be able to look at the picture and remember who came first, or, in the case of your eyes deceiving you, find out the real finishing order.
Don't worry about getting the photo perfectly as they are just going over the line, as it doesn't really matter all that much, unless it's a dead heat, and that's uncommon. If it's a little bit before or after the line that's fine, but preferably after rather than before.
Example of Common Rules Found in a Sprint Race.
This guide is for approved race organisers only. You may, however, use this guide to host your own races on different websites or forums.
Holding Your First Sprint Race.
Why a Sprint Race?
Sprint Races are the easiest races to run, because you don't have to make any turns. It might sound easy to get a bunch of dogs running across the screen, but when you have to control three or four dogs at the one time, and ensuring that they start and finish at the same basic time is quite a task.
The Running of The Race
Ignore the crapiness of the pictures. You get the idea, it was too late at night and my brain wasn't working.
Step One: PICTURE. Get your dogs attention by calling them with your hand. Get them to follow you around at a run for a few laps, if you want, so that they are really listening to you. Then, move the hand to the far left-hand side of the screen.
Step Two: PICTURE. While they are all on the left hand side of the screen, preferably nearest the bottom, move your cursor slightly above them, and then call. Raise it slightly as they start trotting after your hand. This is to get them listening to you before you start the race, and to prepare them to start running. They should only be trotting slowly after your hand, so keep it only slightly above them. Alternatively, you can start at the top and make them jog towards the bottom of the screen. It really does not make a difference.
Step Three: PICTURE. When you feel that all the dogs are listening to you and you are ready to start the race (don't worry where on the track they are, it won't make a difference), quickly dart your hand to the far right hand side of the screen, calling the dogs while you do so. They will turn and start racing towards your hand and towards the finish line.
Step Four: PICTURE. As the dogs are running, either keep calling or stop, depending on how you like to run your races. If all the dogs are listening to you, they should continue running.
Now, after the start, you might find that some dogs do not start, and choose to run in a circle, or stop, or you'll get a false start, or something will go wrong that means that one of the dogs is ruining the race. This will happen pretty much every time you hold a race, so don't expect to get it right your first try. If something does go wrong, in a sprint race or average length race, just restart the race until you have a smooth run. Once you start getting into the higher grades, you can be a bit less tolerant, and if a dog consistently runs around, just run the race with the dogs that are co-operating, regardless of if the other dog runs at all or not.
Step Five: PICTURE. As the dogs are approaching the finish line, and just as they are going over it, take a picture. Before the race starts, set your photo settings to include the background in the photo (so you can see the finish line), and to "Take Both Petz" (so that all the dogz end up in the photo finish). Regardless of whether it is really a photo finish or not, people like to see a picture of their dog going over the finish line, and it does help to be able to look at the picture and remember who came first, or, in the case of your eyes deceiving you, find out the real finishing order.
Don't worry about getting the photo perfectly as they are just going over the line, as it doesn't really matter all that much, unless it's a dead heat, and that's uncommon. If it's a little bit before or after the line that's fine, but preferably after rather than before.
Example of Common Rules Found in a Sprint Race.
- Please wait until I have accepted your entry before sending your dogs to me.
- Any additional breedfiles must be sent along with the dog.
- All dogs must be registered with the DRC before entering.
- Dogs must be of an average size, roughly the size of a Ubi Soft Great Dane.
- All Ubi Soft Original Breeds are accepted, as well as realistic looking hexed breeds.
- The entries close once 3 people have entered their dogs.
- First place gets 5 points, second gets 3 points, and third gets 1 point.
- Dogs cannot be pregnant.
- Please specify in the form whether you want me to send the dog back to you or not. If not, it will be deleted off my computer after the race.