Experience and Training Point Counting Guide
Posted 7 months ago :: Last edited 7 months ago by AdminGuide to the EXP System
Earning Experience Points
Every art or writing submission will have general Experience Points awarded to the horse featured. If an entry features both a horse and a rider, they will both earn the total Experience Points that the entry qualifies for. Extra participants featured can also earn these boths. In addition to earning Experience Points, horses are also capable of earning Training Points if the art or literature depicts them performing certain physical activities. More on that below!
Art
- Base Values (select one for each horse featured)
- Headshot of horse (+5 EXP) - A headshot is defined as either a bust (from the shoulders up) or at least half of the neck visible.
- Partial Body (+7 EXP) - A partial body image is defined as at least half of the horse's body is showing, or the horse is viewed at an angle that obscures most of the body, such as front-facing poses.
- Full Body (+10 EXP) - A full body image is defined as the entire body of the horse being shown, where most of the coat pattern is visible.
- Color & Shading (select one for each horse featured)
- No color (+0 EXP) - Images don't have to be colored, but coat patterns should still be recognizable.
- Flat color (+2 EXP) - Color is blocked in, but no shading is present.
- Simple Shading (+3 EXP) - Color is blocked in, simple shadows or lighting is present.
- Complex Shading (+5 EXP) - Color is blocked in, and the piece is fully polished in shading and lighting with details present.
- Rider or Handler & Tack (select any that are relevant, if multiple riders, you get +4 EXP per rider featured! Likewise +1 EXP per horse with tack.)
- Rider or Handler featured? If yes: (+4 EXP) and the rider also gains the total amount of EXP alongside the horse.
- Does the horse have tack? If yes: (+1 EXP)
- Background & Setting (select one- every horse and rider featured will get the EXP rewarded by the background)
- No background (+0 EXP) - Not required, but no points either.
- Simple flat (+1 EXP) - Simple shapes of flat color, blurred photo or screenshot backgrounds, simple graphics all fall under this category.
- Simple background (+3 EXP) - A discernable setting with a foreground and background and simple elements such as fences, bushes, trees, mountains, etc.
- Complex background (+5 EXP) - A detailed setting with a foreground and background, detailed foliage or architectural elements.
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Total possible in one piece of art: 25 points (that features one horse and rider)
Copy/Paste Version
Copy and paste into your art's Description field and delete what isn't relevant to your submission. Then fill in your Total Experience Points at the bottom.
- Base Values (copy paste multiples for each horse featured if needed)
- (+5 EXP) Headshot of horse
- (+7 EXP) Partial Body
- (+10 EXP) Full Body
- Color & Shading (copy paste multiples for each horse featured if needed)
- (+0 EXP) No color
- (+2 EXP) Flat color
- (+3 EXP) Simple Shading
- (+5 EXP] Complex Shading
- Rider or Handler & Tack
- (+4 EXP) Rider or Handler featured? (+4 for each rider featured, they also gain the entry's total EXP for being here alongside their horse.)
- (+1 EXP) Does the horse have tack?
- Background & Setting (select one- every horse and rider featured will get the EXP rewarded by the background)
- (+0 EXP) No background
- (+1 EXP) Simple flat
- (+3 EXP) Simple background
- (+5 EXP) Complex background
Literature
- Base Values
- Minimum of 500 words (+10EXP) - Writing should cover the basics: they should describe the horse, what they're doing, where they are, and why they are doing what they are doing.
Additional Writing: - For every 250 words after the initial 500 words, add (+5 EXP)
- Minimum of 500 words (+10EXP) - Writing should cover the basics: they should describe the horse, what they're doing, where they are, and why they are doing what they are doing.
- Collaboration or Roleplay
- If multiple horses or riders are featured (aka: more than one horse and rider pair): (+5 EXP) per additional character - they must generally meet the five W's as well and everyone should have roughly the same amount of "screentime" - if they do, then everyone gets the EXP awarded.
- Long Roleplay scenes can be entered into the #literature-submissions channel for exp, you'll just need to format them into a Google document or something similar and submit them there. Please note that excessively long RP submissions may have their experience capped if they exceed 5000 words.
Training Points
How do Training Points work?
If the art or literature entry meets the minimum requirements and gains Experience Points from the criteria above, but also features a horse being trained or ridden with the intent of becoming more phsyically skilled- then they also qualify for gaining Training Points!
How are Training Points used? In official shows and events that use a Rolled Judging System for placings and prizes, event hosts will share what classes horses and riders may enter and what stats can effect your rolled score in those shows. For instance, a show may have a "Show Jumping" class with the "Stats Used" listed as being the Speed stat and the Jumping stat. (Because Show Jumping horses are all about going fast and jumping high!)
Therefore, when players enter art or literature into that class, they are considered "Competing" and a D20 will be rolled in the Discord server to roll the score of the horse and rider pair. If they roll a 5, and have zero points in Jumping or Speed because they are on an untrained horse. If they roll a 5, and have 50 points in Jumping (which gives a +2 bonus) and 25 points in speed (which gives a +1 bonus), then their score is 8 instead of the original roll of 5! In this way, horses with a long history of training in the discipline of their choice have a naturally better chance at succeeding in those Show classes.
How do I train a horse? How do I know how many Training Points they get awarded?
An example: Someone enters a piece of art that features a horse galloping, which is an activity that could qualify for Speed, Stamina, or even Strength. This piece of art qualifies for 20 Experience Points based on the criteria above. It's a fullbody, well-shaded piece with a horse and a detailed background. (No tack or rider.)
Since the horse is engaged in a physical activity that falls under Stamina, Speed, or Strength, and the art piece is worth 20 Experience Points, the player has 20 Training Points to match. The player can then choose to allocate these points however they like into Speed, Stamina, or Strength. They could put all 20 TP into only Stamina, or they could put 10 into Speed, 5 into Stamina, and 5 into Strength. However you want to break it out when you claim your Experience and Training Points is up to you.
This means that when dice are rolled in special events or shows, horses with a lot of stories and art about running and jumping will have bonuses in events about running and jumping!
Horse stats are as follows:
Stamina - determines your horse's physical endurance, constitution against extreme weather, and the length of time he can mentally stayed focused. Stamina can be trained by depicting your horse doing long trail rides (15+ miles), being ridden in extreme weather or difficult terrain, or endurance racing.
Speed - determines your horse's top speed and acceleration to top speed. Speed can be trained by depicting your horse at a fast gallop, racing, or doing speed trials or timed events such as barrel racing, pole bending, jumping, or flag relays.
Strength - determines your horse's physical strength, and how much they can push, pull, or carry. Strength can be trained by depicting your horse being worked uphill or up mountains; pulling a sled, log, or carriage; jousting or other combat training, or doing particularly challenging dressage moves such as the levade, capriole, or courbette (airs above the ground).
Gait - determines the quality, smoothness, rhythm, and balance of your horse's walk, trot, and canter. Gait can be trained by depicting your horse at the walk, trot, or canter; doing collected or extended gaits; doing movements such as piaffe, pirouette, or passage; or by doing lateral movements such as leg yielding or half-pass.
Jumping - determines your horse's ability to gauge a jump and where to take off from, clear jumps without knocking down poles, clear jumps over natural obstacles safely, and general confidence in their ability to leave the ground, which results in less refusals when asked to jump something. Jumping can be trained by showing your horse cantering over poles or cavaletti, free jumping, jumping over logs, standard arena jumps, fences, or other obstacles; or jumping down or up banks.
If you ever aren't sure what your entry may qualify for, you are welcome to reach out in #harpg-help to check. It's also totally okay if you get it wrong- Admins will reach out and work with you to get your points where they best fit.