Fur Pattern
Fur patterns are essentially used to enhance a character's appearance. New characters receive a basic fur pattern when they first join the game. Players also have the option to purchase a fur pattern for different amounts of gold from Radium, who is located in Radium's Den in the high plains, east of Saliko's Chapel. Another option is to purchase a Colourful Gift Box from Radium's VIP shop and create your own fur pattern.
Starting Fur Patterns
Players that join may receive one of a few basic patterns or features by clicking the 'randomize' button below a display photo of their character. Randomizing their character's appearance assigns a random fur dye and/or fur patterns. Players can continue this process until they are content with their appearance.
Purchasing Fur Patterns
Numerous fur patterns can be purchased from Radium's Pattern Shop. Radium is located (somewhat-hidden) in Radium's Den, which is left of the Everchange Caverns, and to the right of the High Plains of Saliko. Radium has many exquisite fur patterns that range in a price from 0 - 125 gold. Some of the fur patterns that can be purchased at Radium's Pattern Shop are also an option to pick as your fur pattern when you first join the game. The fur patterns that can be purchased for 0 to 10 gold are also the fur patterns that players had a choice of choosing from to be their starter fur pattern from when they first joined.
Features (10 Gold)
Features can randomly appear on new characters, when clicking "Randomize" to randomize the design.
Features that can be combined with a fur pattern
Name | Description |
Bitten Ears | Parts of the ear are bitten off. |
Eyelashes | Dark mascara is added to create eyelashes. |
Freckles | Several small black spots are added around the nose. |
Scratches | Light grey scratches are added to the region between the eyes and ears. |
Shorter Tail | The tip of the tail is removed to become shorter. Instead of a curve, the bottom underline of the tail is diagonally straight. |
Bunny Tail | The tail becomes 60% of it's original length, making it stubbier than a shorter tail. |
Features that cannot be combined with a fur pattern
Name | Description |
Bitten Ears with Scar | Parts of the ear are bitten off & there is a scar a little above the eye. |
Darker Ears | The ears are a darker shade of the colour of the fur. |
Darker Ears and Stripes | The ears are a darker shade of the colour of the fur & there are stripes on the character's face; mainly on its forehead. |
Dark Hair | The mane portion of the head is given black hair in a fixed posture. |
Dark Tail Tip | The tail tip is a darker shade of the colour of the fur. |
Pale Muzzle | The muzzle is a lighter shade of the colour of the fur. |
Husky 2 | The bottom half of the tail is coloured white. |
Basic Fur Patterns (Free or 10 Gold)
Basic Fur Patterns can randomly appear on new characters, when clicking "Randomize" to randomize the design.
Name | Description |
Spots 2 | White spots are all around the fur, including on the right paw. The region around the muzzle is lighter. This is the only pattern to be cost-free. |
Siamese | The ears, muzzle (including the area around the eyes), tail and paws are all darkened to reflect a Siamese cat's face. |
Panda | The region around the eyes is darkened like a teardrop, while the ears, tail and paw are darkened at it's tips. |
Intermediate Fur Patterns (75 Gold)
Name | Description |
Ace | The tips of the paws are finely cut dark, resembling hooves. The ears are given thin black stripes, with the forehead portraying a mark and the eye shadow seeping downwards (similar to runaway mascara). The mid-section of the tail is given irregular dark spots. |
Black Paws 1 | The ears, paws, and tail tip are full black. |
Black Paws 3 | The ears, paws, and tail tip are full black. Includes the bitten ears with scar feature. |
Black Torso | The ears, most of the body (except for the paws/belly), and most of the tail (except for the tip) are considerably darker, while part of the cheek is darkened to the corresponding fur colour. |
Chesire Cat | A pattern modeled after the Chesire Cat from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. The entire tail, thighs, and ears have been given dark stripes corresponding to the fur colour chosen. One stripe appears on the mid-section of the torso. |
Curly Pattern | Curled stripes on the ear, cheek, back, leg, and tail. The paw tips are lightly pale white. |
Husky | The entire back legs, bottom-half of the tail, ears, cheek, muzzle and area that curves around the eyes are considerably lighter, creating a puffy impression like a cloud. The entire front legs have been coloured total black. |
Neon | A pattern that overrides your entire fur colour, replacing it with a considerably darker colour instead (this can appear somewhere from light grey to total black). The mane is replaced with white hair with detailed gray lines, as well as having a white muzzle with fur-like edges. Dual triangular cut out stripes (likely an analogous colour) are pasted on the mid-section of the tail, the back, and the thighs. Light splotches appear on the tips of the tail and paws (both likely being a complementary colour or similar to your own fur colour but in a different shade). Also includes eyelashes by default. |
Shagged Hair | More of an un-combinable feature than a pattern, black drooping hair (cut just above the eyes) is added. |
Shagged Hair 2 | The same black shagged hair is used, except a white muzzle that reaches toward most of the cheek, small splotches of white on the tips of the paws and larger splotches of white on the tail. The muzzle, paws and tail are similar to that of Neon, except the whiteness of tail and muzzle is longer. |
Skunky | A pattern designed like a skunk. A single long white stripe follows from the head to the tail. |
Snowshoe | A pattern similar to a Siamese cat's face (darkened ears, muzzle, tail and paws). Differences from the Siamese pattern presented to the Snowshoe include a white muzzle and roughly cut white paw tips. |
Speckled | The entire body, tail, legs, paws and ears are considerably darker (slightly more darker than Two Tone). Lighter patches of dark strokes surround the face, leaving out the area around the eyes. Tiny light freckles have been added to the tail, thighs, the right front paw and ears. |
Spots 1 | Black spots are all around the fur. The tips of both the tail and ears are black. |
Sugar Glider | A unique design where the ankles of the legs are darkened, the tip of the tail is finely cut black, and a line connecting the back ankles to a black region on the torso. The cheek and the paws are slightly pale white, except for the muzzle. |
Timber Wolf | A unique design where most of the ears, face, top half of the body, and tail tip are slightly darkened, while simultaneously being lighter around the mid-section of the tail, two of the paws and the bottom section of the muzzle. A light half-ring appears around the eyes to complement the darker areas on the face. |
Two Tone | The entire bottom half of the body, tail and the ears are considerably darker. Shadowing can be found on the tail and back legs. |
Complex Fur Patterns (125 Gold)
Name | Description |
Black Paws 2 | Black ears, paws and tip of the tail, with some of the face being white. There are two very small stripes on each cheek. |
Demon Skin | A unique pattern where the ears and ends of the fur on the mane are striped black, combined with a single black stripe that is posted under the neck. The region around the eye is given a distinct black marking that also serves as eyelashes. The upper half of the body, as well as the tail is encased in a black web, similar to chain mail. The entire bottom half of the tail has been skewered, leaving behind a very long but thin tail. |
Fox | The areas on the tail and the bottom half of the body are covered in a darker shade. The tip of the ears, as well as a small marking on the muzzle are black. The tip of the tail is finely cut white, along with the area spanning from the muzzle to most of the cheek. |
Leopard | Several leopard spots are all around the fur. |
Striped Calico | Lightly shaded stripes on the forehead, ears, and cheeks, as well as the top half of the body. More moderately shaded stripes appear on parts of the tail and cheeks. The area surrounding from the tips of the paws to the legs, as well as the cheek are pale. |
Tabby Light | Lighter shade of tabby cat stripes appearing across the tail, body, legs, cheek and mane. Comes with a slightly white tail tip and paws. |
Tabby Dark | Darker shade of tabby cat stripes appearing across the tail, body, legs, cheek and mane. Comes with a deep white tail tip and paws. |
Wildcat | Ears, cheeks, back, paws, and tip of the tail are all in a darker shade. There are also stripes along the forehead and on the back legs, as well as a little on the tail. The rest of the fur is occupied by small spots. A paw print can be noticed on the cheek from three smaller spots and one larger spot. |
You can combine certain features with your current pattern, by checking "Combine with Pattern" and then purchasing the pattern. For example, if you have the Wildcard pattern, select "Bitten Ears" and then check "Combine with Pattern", you will have the Wildcard pattern with bitten ears.
Make sure you do not forget to check "Combine with Pattern" if you want to get the new feature in addition to your current pattern - if you leave the box unchecked, you're getting just the feature, replacing your current pattern entirely.
Creating Your Own Fur Pattern
If a player is interested in creating their own fur pattern, they can purchase a Fancy Magic Box from Radium's Shop for 175 gold.
They then need to draw their pattern on the sprite sheet, and submit a link to it to our staff. When approved, the Fancy Magic Box is removed, and your pattern shows up in the pattern shop for any characters on your account.
Creating a Reference
The first step to creating your very own fur pattern is by creating a reference. A reference is simply just a rough drawing or picture of how you want your custom pattern to look like. All artists begin with a reference, in order to start designing their fur pattern. Some players who are inexperienced at creating a custom pattern themselves may seek help from other players.
Please note that when you're coming up with a reference, do not include it in the submission as part of the template. The reference is just a guide to help you or the artist begin working on the template. The two templates below are the only things you need to get your custom pattern approved, and uploaded into the game.
Obtaining the Sprite Sheet
The sprite sheet consists of two PSD files that you can download directly from the Paw'D website:
- sprite_sheet_full.psd - the basic sprite sheet used for all the animations in game.
- sprite_sheet_dialog.psd - a bigger image of your character that is used when they're talking.
You need to download both files, and draw your pattern directly on each of them. To open the files, it is necessary to have a computer program that supports that format - aside from Photoshop and PaintShopPro, various commercial (Corel Photoshop, Sai, openCanvas) and free (Gimp, FireAlpaca) programs are all able to read it.
Drawing the Pattern
When editing the pattern, draw it either directly onto the unlocked layer with the fur, or create a new layer you draw your pattern on. There are a few caveats you need to keep in mind:
- DOs
- DO draw within each element: Each limb has a specific position in the file. If you draw outside that section, there is a good chance that it will get cropped off.
- DO use the same hue of blue as the underlying sprite colour: You can change the brightness and the saturation of your colour, but the hue must remain the exact blue you see on the sprite sheet[1]. If in doubt, use your colour picker on the right side palette in the sprite sheet - all the blues there are "safe".
- DON'T
- DON'T draw stuff that does not belong to the fur pattern: Eyes and expressions are automatically added, so you don't have to draw them. In the PSD you will notice a layer that shows you where eyes will be - that is just for your reference. Draw your pattern on a layer under or over the eyes, and make sure you don't accidentally merge the eyes-layer onto your pattern.
- DON'T change the colour: The blue is automatically replaced by your current dye. You can make that colour darker or lighter, but don't change the hue to something else (such as red or pink), otherwise your dye will look completely off.
- DON'T push the envelope: Sprites are subject to review, and staff may refuse to approve sprites not deemed suitable. If you draw equipment on your fur pattern, erase entire limbs, merely scribble on the fur, or draw something that'll make people question your sanity, don't be surprised if staff decides not to add your sprite. Paying gold for the magic box entitles you to submit your sprite for review - you are not buying a right to have it added. If in doubt, ask! We find custom sprites cool, so we generally don't reject them unless absolutely necessary.
Coloring Notes
The game takes the default blue colors (as shown on the template) and replaces them with your character's existing fur colour. Using colors other than blue on the template are permanent, meaning that they will stay the same even if you dyed your fur to any other color.
There are three ways to color the template. Customizable colors are the shades of blue that you use in your template that get overwritten by your fur dye color. Permanent colors are any other color that do not get overwritten by your fur dye color.
- Case 1: Customizable colors only
- For example, say your character's fur is red, and you made a custom pattern using the default blue as the fur and a darker hue of blue on the paws for the template. Once you receive the custom pattern, the blue fur from your template is overwritten by your fur color, turning it red, while your paws are now a darker shade of red.
- While the colors are customizable, you cannot control the colors separately (i.e have red fur with dark green paws). Your fur dye color affects the entire fur itself. Unfortunately, you need to mix both customizable (shades of blue) and permanent colors (dark green in this case).
- Case 2: Mixed customizable and permanent colors
- For example, say your character's fur is brown, and you made a custom pattern using the default blue as the fur and gray paws on the template. Once you receive the custom pattern, the blue fur from your template is overwritten by your fur color, turning it brown, while leaving your paws gray.
- Case 3: Permanent colors only
- For example, say your character's fur is yellow, and you made a custom pattern using orange as the fur and green paws. Once you receive the custom pattern, the orange fur from your template stays orange, and your paws will also stay green.
- Since you used permanent colors only on the template, you won't be able to change your fur color at all.
Submitting the Pattern
Once you are done drawing the pattern, submit it to our staff via e-mail (support at-sign pawdgame dot com), or by ticket in-game under Help > Support > Other Support with a provided link that the staff can directly download from.
You can either hide the eyes and expression layer and submit the file as a PNG, or you can submit the file with all the layers as PSD or MDP. If you are submitting the file as PNG, make sure that it has a transparent background (not a white one). Most graphics programs display transparency as a white / grey checkered surface.
If in doubt, send us the PSD or MDP file, and we will save the file in the proper format.
Using the Sprite Sheet
After designing their own pattern and getting it approved by staff, it shows up in the pattern list for all characters on the account of the player designing it. You are welcome to request the sprite to be added to other accounts you own, or gift your pattern to someone else (who can then select it in the pattern shop as well).
Please note that not all Moderators have access to the tickets. Only the Game Master is able to do so, however during this time, do not expect that your ticket will be handled within 24 hours, but ranging within a couple of days to several weeks.
Notes
- If a player no longer wishes to have a fur pattern, they can select the No Pattern option at Radium's Pattern Shop. This action costs no gold.
- If a player has already purchased a fur pattern and they want a different one, they can purchase the different pattern, which will automatically go on their character. If they want their old fur pattern back, they will have to re-purchase it.
- Certain features do combine with fur patterns - for these, a box "combine with current pattern" shows up in the pattern shop. So, if you would like a tabby pattern with bitten ears, obtain the tabby pattern first, and then obtain the "bitten ears" feature, with the "Combine" box checked.
- If a player wishes to change their eye colour, they cannot do so as part of their fur pattern template. They will have to make that request separately via ticket in-game to a staff member.
- ↑ In case your drawing program allows it, editing the sprite sheet using an HSV colour model is much easier than using the RGB model. In the HSV model, you may touch the Saturation (S) and Value (V), as long as you leave the Hue (H) alone.