N/Introduction/Building Species

[edit] Beginner's Guide

1. Introduction
2. Our theme
3. What we have right now
4. Choose an age
5. Choose a region
6. Begin!

[edit] Not So Beginner's Guide

1. The Convention
2. Guidelines
3. Conworld Tenets
4. Building Nations
5. Building Organizations
6. Building Species
7. Links

This template

[edit] Definition of species

A single, distinct class of living creature with features that distinguish it from others. [1]

In the broadest sense, a species is anything that can be said to do something intentionally, or be reasoned with. If you're not sure whether what you're thinking of is a species, try deciding whether it's sentient or primal; if it isn't one of those or somewhere in-between, it probably isn't a species.

[edit] Common features of all species

[edit] Community

Usually, species inhabit some specific area and act as a group. While a species can consist of one individual, whether that individual really needs a species page is questionable.

[edit] Sentient vs. Primal

When building a species, you must choose whether the species will be sentient, primal or somewhere in between. A sentient species is a species that, like humans in real life, has the ability to think, reason and create. A primal species, on the other hand, acts entirely or almost entirely on instinct. Primal creatures act before they think, or don't think at all.

In general, a sentient species will have technology that improves over time, while a primal species will have only its natural weapons.

[edit] Describing your species

As a general rule, look at someone else's article and copy the basic format.

[edit] Common Attribution

Pick a name for your species. This is the name most people call them by, but not necessarily the species' scientific name.

[edit] Categorical Attribution

Pick a scientific name for your species. This doesn't have to be Latin; in fact, it probably shouldn't be. Think of this as the species' "real" name.