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Name:
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How did you hear about Auratus Ghoti?
Which breed are you most excited for/ do you want to see in game?
Which faction would you want to join when the game opens?
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Do you have/Have you had goldfish before?
Anything else you want to add!

While all fish are aware of the existence of the creatures known as "The Gods", different theories have come about regarding what exactly they are and what the . This has lead to the formation of two major groups in the pond. There are the Idealist Auratus and the Materialist Auratus.

The Materialist Auratus are led by a Ranchu named Charcoal. She was originally a student of The Raven, along with LB, but she began to focus more on studying the reasons for the pond's existence. She believes that the gods are merely creatures who live lives much like fish, but on the uninhabitable (by fish standards) land. She believes that they have a life cycle just like the fish and that they have little to no influence on the appearance of the hazards that appear in the pond. She also believes that some of the strange abilities that fish have begun to gain are due to some explainable outside force (perhaps something that comes from the Forbidden Zone). She has begun to teach other fish the things she has learned through her explorations and has no time for the rituals that the religious Auratus perform. The Materialist fish believe that there is a simple, provable cause for all phenomenons of their culture and that most of it was influence by natural forces.

The Idealist Auratus are led by a Celestial named Michael. He believes that the gods are beings who have no one true form and that there are many gods who can either help or harm the fish of the pond. He was taught the history of the pond by The Prophet and is responsible for much of the ritual that the fish perform. He is very strict with his followers on the rules that the goldfish follow. While both groups believe that cannibalism (especially of fry) is wrong, his groups believes this is because the gods need more fish indoors and that this practice would anger the gods (the scientific faction believes it is just not a good idea and that there is enough food in the pond to sustain the population without resorting to cannibalism). 

More to come ...

The first mutation (as a result of inbreeding) is being created!

Description from the design doc: “Mutations are one other mechanic that will hopefully be implemented. This is a consequence for inbreeding and can hinder bonuses from the gods … or gain one depending on the week.” 






Fish with cyclopia are born with one eye. Being hardy fish in this strangely uplifted fish society, fish with mutations do not die at birth, but their stats are lowered. Speed is the lowest stat for these fish.

Some other planned mutations are curled gills, Shortened fin(s), lumps, overgrown wens, scaleless, and eyeless.

I’m definitely open to more mutation ideas!

Now for the next poll, courtesy of my odd eyed girl, LB!


I have two options for Eye color. The first option (as suggested by my husband) is eye color matching the area that the fish is native to:


This option can add to the faction ideas but may not look as good with some marking (there are some that I want to have bleed into the eyes, much like actual goldfish).

The next option is more natural eye colors, with an option for a sort of heterochromia (much like what my girl LB has:


This option adds a little more realism to the fish and most markings will look good with the eyes.

Note: I haven't added in any eye shine yet on the eyes. These are more mock ups without detail.

Which does everyone like more? Option 1 or 2?

This forum is for suggestions for the site. Be sure to stay on topic and be respectful of other users and staff. We will try to respond to suggestions as much as possible. Be aware, however, that not all suggestions will be implemented, either due to feasibility, lore, or other reasons due to the discretion of the staff.

Quork!

Hello Citizens of Auratus! The Prophet requested a map of the pond and each of the factions! You have no idea how difficult it is to create a waterproof map!



I'm also in the process of exploring each region and interviewing different fish there. He wants a survey of the beliefs and breeds of each faction.

The Shallows
This area is on the West side of the pond and is considered a safe home at first glance, being closest to the land of the gods, but it is not without its dangers. This is where it is believed the Masked Death first arrived as well. The fish here are more outgoing, being used to the gods being near this side of the pond the most often. The religious leaders tends to be in conflict with the scientific leaders in this part of the pond.

Green Water
This area is almost unnaturally rich in algae and is home to some of the stranger looking breeds. Fish from other areas of the pond will sometimes come here to try and gather algae for their developing fry. This is not without risk however. Many inhabitants of the pond believe that the green water is due to the area's close proximity to the Forbidden Zone. Therefore, algae that is collected near the boundary of Green Water and the Forbidden Zone is rarely consumed, unless it is used for potions. The fish in this area seem to have amazing abilities as well. You would almost think they were magic. The scientific leaders thinks there may be a different reason for their abilities.

Water Lettuce Forest
This area is believed to be the home of the Ryukins. This breeds aggressively patrols the area. Many believe that it is because this is a perfect place for eggs to be laid, and thus a sacred place for all fish of the pond – according to the inhabitants of the area that is. The Webbed Death was believed to once lurk just above the water here.

The Depths
This area is the home of the Common Goldfish. It is also a safe haven for all breeds during the winter. The fish here are the most welcoming to the other breeds. The fish of this area are always training for the return of the fabled Web-Footed Shadow, the Furry Fish, and the Silent Shadow. These fish are also considered to be the biggest and fastest of the pond.

The Rocks
Pearlscales are believed to have originated here (according to the religious leaders). This area is filled with places to hide in, but more delicate breeds tend to avoid the more jagged areas. The Spear Faced Death was thought to patrol here in the times of the First Pond. The fish here have gruff personalities and tend to be secretive, using the rocks as their shelters. They are also very scientifically minded.

The Far Bank
This area is visited by the gods as well as the Loud Impostor Gods. Not many fish have visited this area of the pond because of how far away it is from the land of the gods. Some foraging parties have returned with items left there by the Impostor Gods.

Kraa! That's everything for now! The pond is pretty self enclosed, though there is a river that runs near by.

Oh? The Neutral Zone? Well, that's just where myself and the original Seven are. Of course, I don't live in the water! I'm just in that tree whenever the gods let me out by the pond.

What? That dark area with the cat tails? Don't worry about that place ... It's called the forbidden zone for a reason ...

Hello all! This poll is to help me decide on how I want the goldfish fry to develop. The main two options I'm deciding between are having the sex, breed, colors, and markings of the developing fry be revealed in details/profile page of the fry at hatching or to be revealed during each stage of development.

Let's take the typical goldfish fry as an example:


This little fellow has just hatched out of the egg and is in this stage for five days. In Example one, you would know it's sex, breed, colors, and markings right away. Let's say that we're going with example two though.


At this point, you know it's one of the double tailed breeds. The dark coloring implies that this fish will most likely have a red, orange, brown, black, Blue, or green body color. Fin color, markings, sex, and actual breed are unknown. It is in this stage for another five days


Now, we can tell that the fish is red, has white fins, and is male (see the tiny star on his cheek). We don't know how fertile he is (male fertility determines how many offspring he is likely to have each spawning). Judging by the wen, it is a safe bet that this will be an oranda. This stage lasts 5 days.



Here is the fellow, fully grown (using a gene that I may or may not keep). You can see that he had a hidden color of blue, expressed in the gene/marking that showed up at adulthood. He also has three stars, signifying that he has a fertility of 3 (average). Note, this is not the final draft of an oranda male, but rather something I've thrown together for tonight.

So, what would you rather have?  The ability to see what your fish will be as an adult right away, via information on a pet page/profile page or to have these details revealed throughout the growth of the fish?

Over the last couple of weeks, I've been tweaking the artwork. I'll be posting new breed and NPC art here occasionally (Though, not everything - can't spoil all of the upcoming breeds ;>)

First up, I'll post the new Starter breed art:

This is the second attempt by the gods to create a paradise for the Auratus.

The first attempt was a smaller pond, with some rocky areas to hide in and plenty of plant life to both provide extra sustenance and breeding areas for the fish. Unfortunately, predators were still able to get many of the fish, and the final blow to this paradise was a poison that killed all but five inhabitants of the pond.

After a long period of construction and rebuilding, the five inhabitants were reintroduced to the New Pond. As more fish joined this pond, they became the "Auratus", the chosen. Their main duty is to defend their pond and please the gods by repopulating this pond. 

These are the two breed you will be able to start with. Upon registering, you'll want to ask an administrator for the codes to your desired breed and color (markings are not available on starter fish). You can pick two codes. Let us know the fin color and body color that you want out of the colors shown below the breed list.

Common


These are the largest breed of goldfish, both in the real world and in the world of Auratus. They are hardy and perfectly adapted for ponds.

Ryukin

These are a hardy, fancy breed of goldfish. They're easily distinguishable from other breeds by the flowing double tail and the large hump that charactarises the breed.

Both breeds come in Gold, Black, Green, Red, White, Copper, Silver, Blue, and Light gold. They can be found in one solid color or with fins that are a different color.