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| #4 - June 2013 | |
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| Topic Started: Jun 13 2013, 11:28 AM (3,293 Views) | |
| Danny | Jun 13 2013, 11:28 AM Post #1 |
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[anchor]top[/anchor]![]() [anchor]intro[/anchor] Written by: DannyOnce again, thank you all for such an amazing month (and a half :P)! We would like to apologise for the delay in posting this newsletter as many of the staff were very busy with real life and were unable to help out. Fortunately, we've just managed to put this together so we hope you enjoy! This month has had several highlights - the most obvious being the Marathon contest. We had a lot of contestants for the marathon and we are very thankful for all the support! It was such a fun event and we're definitely hoping to be able to hold another Marathon contest again some time. Unfortunately, because of our business, we have been unable to complete a lot of pointies shop purchases recently, but don't worry! We'll be getting them done soon. Other than that, I'd just like to thank all of you, the members, for making this little idea for a new site into a great and successful community forum! ~The Round Table Staff.
[anchor]events[/anchor] Written by: DannyUnfortunately, we were unable to start any forum games for this month as we had planned, but we will certainly try our best to bring some more fun into this next month! As well as the usual weekly contests and games, we also have a very special event planned for next month... But we won't give away too many details as we all love a bit of a surprise! Currently, there are a number of contests running. You have just a few days to post your entry for the Recreating Reality contest if you haven't already. This contest requires you to take a photo in Zoo Tycoon 2 that looks as similar as possible to a photo taken in real life. The new Exhibit Design Contest has also been started up, with a special twist that will be announced soon! You also have a little over a week to enter the Write a Poem Contest if you haven't already. Make sure to also take a look at some of the contests posted by our members [here]. Finally, please make sure to enter your vote for the Community Improvement Contest, a contest where members were asked to come up with ideas for clubs that could help improve the community's problems. Due to some problems we've had very recently with staff inactivity and staff leaving, we'll also be looking for members who could possibly take up the position of staff. If you feel that you could help lead this site, then please feel free to post a topic in the Staff PM Box about it. Mentioning your interest will not necessarily secure a position for you as a staff member, however it will help us know if you feel up for the job. Other than that, we do have a few things planned. We hope to have a new section added to the site soon, which we're sure you'll all love. As I mentioned before, next month we plan on having a special event, and, of course, we will try to start a few more community games for you to participate in. So look forward to some community fun in the near future! [go2=top]Back To Top[/go2] [anchor]awards[/anchor] Listed by: DannyWe've had a number of winners this month, especially with the Marathon I contest, so please congratulate the following for their hard work! May 8 2013, TheZooTycooner14 : Kozar, 1st Place - Creature Creation Contest May 8 2013, Acinonyx Jubatus : Great Blue Slimeslinger, 2nd Place - Creature Creation Contest May 8 2013, Fireplume : Kakapi, 3rd Place - Creature Creation Contest May 26 2013, Grumkrieg : Red Wolf, 1st Place - Urban Photography Contest May 26 2013, jragonizer : Mountain Bongo, 2nd Place - Urban Photography Contest May 26 2013, Murdock129 : Platypus, 3rd Place - Urban Photography Contest June 2 2013, MiBound : Asian Elephant, Star of the Competition, Team Desana - 1st Place - Marathon I June 2 2013, AuroraFang : Bengal Tiger, Team Desana - 1st Place - Marathon I June 2 2013, dp197 : Asian Elephant, Team Desana - 1st Place - Marathon I June 2 2013, Flishstar : Sperm Whale, Team Desana - 1st Place - Marathon I June 2 2013, Franco : Asian Elephant, Team Desana - 1st Place - Marathon I June 2 2013, Titan : Stegosaurus, Team Desana - 1st Place - Marathon I June 2 2013, Alex : Northern Hairy-Nosed Wombat, Ushindi - 2nd Place - Marathon I June 2 2013, Animalboy : Northern Hairy-Nosed Wombat, Ushindi - 2nd Place - Marathon I June 2 2013, Danny : Northern Hairy-Nosed Wombat, Ushindi - 2nd Place - Marathon I June 2 2013, Imp : American Bison, Ushindi - 2nd Place - Marathon I June 2 2013, TradeMark : Bengal Tiger, Ushindi - 2nd Place - Marathon I June 2 2013, zozmonster : Parasaurolophus, Ushindi - 2nd Place - Marathon I June 2 2013, Crookedjaw : Golden Lion Tamarin, Europe's Finest - 3rd Place - Marathon I June 2 2013, monoslocos : Golden Lion Tamarin, Europe's Finest - 3rd Place - Marathon I June 2 2013, Stephen : Golden Lion Tamarin, Europe's Finest - 3rd Place - Marathon I June 2 2013, The Dragon Whisperer : Europe's Finest - 3rd Place - Marathon I June 2 2013, uolym : Amazon River Dolphin, Europe's Finest - 3rd Place - Marathon I June 13 2013, DTF95 : Snow Leopard, 1st Place - Tutorial Comp. June 13 2013, Okeanos Saviour : Saiga Antelope, 2nd Place - Tutorial Comp. June 13 2013, Furka : Binturong, 3rd Place - Tutorial Comp. Congratulations to all our winners! [go2=top]Back To Top[/go2] [anchor]spotlight[/anchor] Interviewed by: The Fluffy RaptorEach month we will be doing a spotlight on talent for a member we feel deserves it. We would like to congratulate this month's talent, SHEATHER! 1) If you could pick, what animal would you transform into? Just transform into but retain my intelligence and be able to become a human being again at will? Easy - a raven, (totally not copying Crookedjaw...). I have always wondered how it would be to fly, and it would definitely be my superpower of choice. As a raven, I would also be rather uninteresting, and people wouldn't be startled by my presence if they saw me anywhere. I could also get by on any sort of food and would be largely free of predators in my my animal form, so I wouldn't have to worry about that. 2) When did your love of animals start? What? I hate animals... No, of course I don't. When I was two years old, my dad would take me down the road to feed apples to the horses that lived in a large paddock right alongside the street. There were two of them, both brown, but one had a green halter and the other a purple one. Being the uncreative toddler I was, I named them Green Mask and Purple Mask, and for the next couple of years always called them this even though the horses no doubt swapped halters over the years. We also began going down the street to the large lake where all of the hundred or so ducks and geese lived, and I would feed them. We would go out to the little wildlife area 20 miles away sometimes, and I would catch crayfish and frogs with my net, sometimes keeping them as pets for a while, sometimes releasing them again. Sometimes, he'd take me out to the Indiana Dunes at night and we would watch deer, opossums, and racoons along the road, and when I was five or six I also began watching animal shows on Animal Planet (back when they still had the real documentaries and not the crap they often put out now), and my interest in nature only grew. Overall, it was really because of my dad taking me to so many animal-related places when I was young that really started my interest. 3) What are your pet peeves? I have a ton. I'm especially annoyed by racism, homophobia, sexism, etc. I can't stand when people are judgmental or hateful towards others based on something like skin color or sexual orientation. I also hate when people don't take care of their animals well - leaving your dog tied permanently to a post in the back yard is not being a good pet owner. 4)What do you want to be when you grow up? I've given pathetically little thought into specifics thus far, probably something to do with biology, perhaps becoming a field biologist. I have artistic ability, but have little interest in pursuing that as a career. I have also given thought to being an author. 5) What are your achievements in life so far? Hmmm.... in life? Nothing enormous at this point. I grew a 15 foot tall sunflower once, if that counts as something, and an eight foot tall marigold flower (for those not knowledgeable in plants, most marigolds grow to 18 inches or less). 6) What social class are you at school? My school is online, thus this question is kind of irrelevant to my situation. When I was at public school years back, I wasn't quite a loner but I was never popular and never had anyone I could really call a good friend. 7) What do you like to do in your spare time? Drawing, drawing, and more drawing. Did I mention drawing? I also love reading, and sometimes I like to write. I also enjoy working outside in my garden and spending time with my pets, and going for hikes with the dogs in the woods. Swimming is also a favorite pastime of mine, in the summer. And of course, browsing the community and working on the NeoTerra project, which is a perfect outlet for many of my main interests. 8) Do you look up to anyone? Oh lots of people. I'm not that tall. 9) How and when did you join the community? I remember it like it was just a few months ago... probably because it was. My little brother found my old, dusty copy of Zoo Tycoon 2, and had me install it for him. After over four years of not playing, it felt weird to play it again. Ten minutes and and a city map full of polar bears and dinosaurs later, my brother was bored of the game, but I started playing it again, just for old time's sake. Well, the graphics and gameplay sucked, and I remembered why I had stopped playing it. But I also remembered the progress that had just started to be made for downloaded content on the boards I sometimes used to lurk before I stopped playing. On a whim I searched "Zoo Tycoon 2 Downloads" and found Radical Remake, and then in a link from that, Gaia. I joined Gaia at first solely for downloads at first, like probably everyone when they first find the community, but while I soon discovered that it was not just a source for downloads (which I was astonished by the improvement in quality of), but a living community full of friendly, intelligent people who shared many of my interests. Starting in the spam forum, I met many people who would eventually become some of my best friends in the community. Eventually, I got up enough courage to post my first (and currently only) show and tell, Arbordale Zoo, and that eventually resulted in me finding and ultimately joining NeoTerra as well, when I found the link in the profile of a certain site administrator who commented on my zoo. Although I've since switched forums, I'm still as active in the community as ever and intend to remain so for a long time to come. 10) Do you like potatoes? Is there really anybody who does not like potatoes? Of course I like them. They are a bit bland, but nothing a little ketchup/gravy (depending on the type of potato involved) cannot solve. Sheather would also like to advertise his S&T, which is now a collaboration zoo being worked on with Fireplume and Flishstar, Arbordale Zoo. ![]() View more of Arbordale Zoo at: ![]() [go2=top]Back To Top[/go2][anchor]staff[/anchor] Written by: DannyStaff Changes: With two of our very special staff members leaving us - Hudson and Josh - we'll be looking for more members to add to our staff. As mentioned earlier, if you'd like to join our team of staff, please tell us in the Staff PM Box! We're always looking for new members that could possibly help us in the future. Animal Encyclopedia: This was mentioned in the last newsletter but we weren't able to finish it in time for this month. Keep your eyes open, though, as the new Animal Encyclopedia section will be opening soon! The section will allow members to post, read and edit information pages on numerous species of animals. We'd like to thank Umpa for his hard work putting this together, and all the original staff at AE for letting us use their idea! Staff PM Box: The Staff PM Box has been a bit of a mess for the staff, with so many topics that it's becoming difficult for us to find what we're looking for. We plan to divide up the Staff PM Box into three main sections to help us find what we're looking for. The sections will be General (for questions, suggestions and ideas), Downloads (for download submissions that need to be reformatted and approved) and Contest Entries (for contest entries to be posted in). This should be put in place within the next few days. Pointies Shop: Rafael and I have been busy with school, so we still have about ten days worth of pointies purchases uncompleted. We are going to be trying to complete these purchases as soon as possible, but please bear with us for now. Feel free to keep posting new purchases in the topic and we'll be able to get those done after we've caught up. Party: Although I don't want to say too much (and I'm sure a lot of you already have a fair idea what the theme will be), we'd just like you to know that a special event will be held at some point next month if all things go to plan. Look forward to an awesome new theme, games, contests and more! [go2=top]Back To Top[/go2] [anchor]news[/anchor] Reporters: Danny![]() This month, the winners for the ZT2: Hagenbeck Contest were announced. You can find the results [here]. Currently there are also two contests running - ZT2: Exhibit Building - Show Area, where you have to design a show area where animals perform and where they are kept when they aren't performing, and Photography Contest: Birds where you must take a photograph that fits the subject of "birds". There is only about a week left for the photography contest and not much longer for the exhibit design contest, so hurry! You can find the contests, contest entries and all previous contests [here]. You also may have noticed the message at the top of the board if you've visited Gaia recently. "Something is coming..." but what exactly it is, I guess we'll just have to wait and see! [go2=top]Back To Top[/go2] [anchor]animal[/anchor] Written by: Sheather![]() ![]() Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Macroscelidea Family: Macroscelididae Genus: Rhynchocyon Species: R. petersi Range: ![]() General The black and rufous elephant shrew, Rhynchocyon petersi, (also known as the black and rufous sengi), is a small mammal native to Africa. One of the largest species of elephant shrew, the black and rufous sengi may span 22 inches in length, with up to half of that being the long, rat-like tail (used for heat dispersion and balance when sprinting), and may weigh up to 21 ounces, although they usually top out at a bit less. Elephant shrews, contrary to their name, are actually not shrews and are most certainly not elephants - they are their own group of creatures named only for the similarities they possess to both other animals. The elephant shrew's "trunk" is actually the animal's very dexterous, sensitive snout, and is used to forage for food in the dirt and leaf litter of the animal's forest floor habitat. Black and rufous sengis are very active animals with a very high metabolism, and need to eat often, thus they are constantly on the move. Sengis are skilled runners and have incredible reflexes, easily outpacing and outmaneuvering any would-be predators, including monitor lizards, birds of prey, and even the strikes of venomous snakes. Habitats The black and rufous sengi is found in the tropical rainforests and dense woodlands of eastern Kenya and Tanzania. Like all sengis, this species wears down the vegetation in areas where it runs most frequently while foraging, forming an intricate network of trails through the undergrowth that are very useful for escape when the creature is pursued by a predator. Diet All sengis are insectivorous - that is to say, they are all bug-eaters, feeding on a variety of worms, insect larvae, crickets, beetles, moths, and millipedes. However, the black and rufous sengi is one of the least carnivorous species in its family, and will often take ripe fruits, seeds, and leaf buds as well to supplement its insect-based diet. Conservation The black and rufous sengi is considered vulnerable in the wild, due to increased loss of habitat due to deforestation, but the species is so seclusive in nature estimates vary as to just how many animals actually survive today. Captive efforts to breed the species have had some success, and animals adapt very well to zoo environments, but due to this small creature's unusually slow reproductive rate (only one, perhaps two offspring born per year), conservation is a slow process, but one which may hopefully secure this species's future in a changing world. Zoo Tycoon 2 Animal Guidelines At this time a black and rufous sengi has not been created for Zoo Tycoon 2 (how can this be?!? I'm calling my lawyer...). If ever one were, a small, well-planted enclosure, preferably indoors, would be ideal for this shy, forest-dwelling species, which although solitary by nature does well in groups in captivity. Purchase for your Zoo! ![]() You can now buy the black and rufous elephant shrew for your achievement zoo [here]! [go2=top]Back To Top[/go2] [anchor]questions[/anchor] Questions by: CRG & Acinonyx JubatusIts always great to learn more about all the members of the site and finding out interesting things about them! This month, we asked Azrael, Crookedjaw, Franco and Michael six different questions. Here are some of the answers: 1. If you were to be on any reality show what would you want it to be about? I'm not a big fan of reality shows, but it would be Wildlife SOS, where I can help wild animals in danger. It would be a big unforgettable experience. ~Franco It would be television gold! Think Keeping Up With the Kardashians meets Duck Dynasty. I would be a supporting character that married the most normal daughter in the lead family that just sits around and wonders what the heck is going on whenever we visit, kinda similar to Scott in the Keeping up with the Kardashians, and it would just be about their life and occasionally focus on each of the daughters when anything interesting was going on in their lives outside the family home. ~Michael 2. If you could date any celebrity, who would it be? Johnny Depp, definitely. Though a close second would be Alan Rickman because of his role in Harry Potter as Severus Snape, but I love Johnny Depp in practically anything. He seems like the most charming, down to earth and outright gorgeous man I know. To me, he's the picture perfect man, after my fiance James of course. But I won't lie and say that James wouldn't have his work cut out for him if Johnny decided to pay me a visit. ~Azrael Jennifer Lawrence, not only is she gorgeous and her personality (at least what she's shown to the public) is incredibly funny and just generally appealing to me. ~Michael 3. What is your favorite pointy animal? Steve the Slimesinger is literally made of awesome. ~Crookedjaw The Wombat ... I simply love those super cute animals ~Franco 4. If you could save any animal currently alive from extinction that is rated endangered what animal would you choose? The Border Knop-Tipped Shadowdamsel (Palaemnema melanota). Just for its name. ~Crookedjaw The tiger, for so long it's been a symbol of strength to cultures worldwide for centuries. They are majestic creatures that have always been able to captivate the hearts of anyone who sees one up close, and it would be a real shame for them to disappear before future generations have a chance to see their beauty. And they serve so much purpose in India and Siberia for the food chain, it would be devastating to lose them for nothing other than hunting them for pelts or body parts, or because we keep taking away their home. ~Azrael 5. What is your favorite species of plant? The Venus Flytrap (preferably man-eating version). ~Crookedjaw Baobab trees (Genus: Adansonia), people can live inside them, they bear "wonder fruit", they're beautiful. ~Michael 6. Would you rather ride a flying dolphin while wearing a monocle or play guitar upside down while eating a sandwich? Riding the Dolphin with a monocle..... simply because it is freaking awesome... It'd be very classy going into places like that - and the dolphin would wear a monocle as well. ~Franco Dolphin with a monocle, definitely. I think I could maybe accomplish the second, sloppily but I think it's possible. But a dolphin with a monocle? There's no way I'd pass up a chance like that. I could also name him Willington. Sir Dolphin Willington. ~Azrael [go2=top]Back To Top[/go2] [anchor]poll[/anchor] New poll by: Acinonyx Jubatus, CRG, Imp & SnyfLast month's monthly polls have been completed. We had six different questions and here are the results. Where would you most like to live? Country - 13 (28.3%) City - 11 (23.9%) Town - 10 (21.7%) Sea - 9 (19.6%) Moon - 3 (6.5%) 46 votes If you had one weapon of defense, which would you pick? House Cat - 20 (43.5%) iPod - 10 (21.7%) Basketball - 8 (17.4%) Dirty Socks - 5 (10.9%) Newspaper - 3 (6.5%) 46 votes Which genre of music do you prefer? Rock/Pop - 28 (63.6%) Classical - 5 (11.4%) Country - 3 (6.8%) Electric - 3 (6.8%) Rap - 3 (6.8%) Metal - 2 (4.5%) 44 votes If you had to watch a children's show, which would you pick? Spongebob - 26 (59.1%) Curious George - 8 (18.2%) Thomas the Train - 8 (18.2%) 44 votes How would you rather spend your day? With Friends - 20 (45.5%) Online - 10 (22.7%) Traveling - 8 (18.2%) Playing Sports - 5 (11.4%) Sleeping - 1 (2.3%) 44 votes What would you want in your ideal home? A lot of pets - 22 (25.3%) A big backyard - 20 (23%) A swimming pool - 17 (19.5%) A family - 16 (18.4%) A ranch - 9 (10.3%) At least two storeys - 3 (3.4%) 87 votes This month, we have a new poll so go check it out [here] The questions for this poll are:
[go2=top]Back To Top[/go2] [anchor]game[/anchor] Riddles selected by: DannyCan you solve these riddles? 1. I am the beginning of the end, and the end of time and space. I am essential to creation, and I surround every place. What am I? 2. The more you have of it, the less you see. What is it? 3. There was a green house. Inside the green house there was a white house. Inside the white house there was a red house. Inside the red house there were lots of babies. What is it? 4. What always runs but never walks, often murmurs, never talks, has a bed but never sleeps, has a mouth but never eats? 5. Think of words ending in -GRY. Angry and hungry are two of them. There are only three words in the English language. What is the third word? The word is something that everyone uses every day. If you have listened carefully, I have already told you what it is. Solutions [go2=top]Back To Top[/go2] [anchor]cc[/anchor] written by: DannyKEEPING POSITIVE: One of the most important parts of keeping a happy and successful community feeling is positivity. When we start to feel angry, down, or upset at anything, the thing we all need most is simply someone who can help us out and lighten up our day. Imagine a community where no one was ever upset for long because everyone was there for support. Wouldn't that be a fantastic goal to aim towards? Our challenge for you this month is to make a positive difference in someone's life this month. Rather than leaving them alone, fighting back or getting annoyed at another member, keep positive and help them out. You might see someone doing something fantastic to help others or something that you think deserves praise... Why not publicly post about it in the Member Positivity Thread or more privately encourage them in a PM? Positivity is something we all want others to show towards us, so let's be positive towards others also. That is the challenge for this month! ![]() [go2=top]Back To Top[/go2] [anchor]help[/anchor] written by: jragonizerInterested in helping out the forum? Well there are several things you can do to help us out! 1. Join the Newsletter Team! All the above posts were written this month, and next month you could be one of the writers! Post in the Staff PM Box and tell us what you would like to do, and we'll get you into something. 2. Report stuff. If you see something that is against the site rules, then just click that little report button so that we can see it ASAP. We can't be everywhere at once, so the sooner you let us know about it the better ![]() 3. Assist. If you see someone who needs help, has a question, or isn't following the rules, kindly help them out if you can. Often times a staff will still follow up behind you, but we always appreciate seeing members helping each other out. 4. Be active. The more you post, and make topics, the more others can post and that will open more doors for you to post! 5. Be friendly. PM people, welcome people, and be patient with everyone, especially newer members. Remember, if you're kind to people, its very likely they'll be kind to you ![]() 6. Submit Downloads. We have a nice download center so we mine as well get as many downloads as we can in it. We also have good download managers, so we had mine as well keep them busy too ![]() 7. Offer your help in the Staff PM Box. We aren't looking to hire a bunch of staff, but that doesn't mean we don't need help. Let us know if you are available and we may just have something for you that would take a lot of pressure off of us. [go2=top]Back To Top[/go2] |
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