American Bovine Association ARPG - Guide

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American Bovine Association Informational Guide:
Welcome to the official informational guide for the American Bovine Association ARPG! Within this guide you will find all the necessary information on how to obtain, breed, develop and more inside this UMA. If there is anything missing from this guide or you have additional questions please feel free to reach out to Black.Wings via CS or Discord DMs, or reach out in the ABA official Discord Q&A thread for additional help.

Table of Contents:

•History and Lore
•Making a Barn and Getting Started
•Adoption and Re-Adoption
•Breeding and Genetics
•ARPG Aspects and Leveling
•Competitions and Stats

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History:

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Getting Started:

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Making a Barn:

Making a barn is the first and most important step to getting started here in ABA. Barns are a storage area to keep all the cows you've won and their breeding slots. Many other things can be stored in your barn as well which include but are not limited to: Items, breeding permissions, art and more. Barns are required to play so don't hesitate in setting one up. This can be done here on CS in the Character Storage tab. Or if you'd rather you can store them on external websites like Toyhouse. ABA cows can share a storage thread with other Closed Species or UMAs or be stored independently, that's up to you. As long as its easily accessible and visible to both staff and other players its fair game. If additional help is needed creating the barn, or in picking a name you can refer to the Help section of our Discord and a member of Staff will be able to assist you.

The First Step:
First thing when creating a barn is picking the name. Names need to be unique so be sure to check out the Barn Archive to ensure you're name isn't the same or too similar to another users. Your barn name is how you will be referred to in competitions and on cow pedigrees. When submitting your barn name you will be given the option to add an acronym to shorten the name. Black Wings Ranch's Moonlight Delight --> "BWR" Moonlight Delight.

Required Information:
There are certain things that are required to be visible on each cows storage tab in order for them to be eligible for breeding and competitions. Below we will list each requirement and a short description of the requirement. As well as non-required but helpful additional information.

Required:
•The cow's registered name. (The cow's registered name is what show's up on their pedigree. "BWR" Moonlight Delight. Additionally it is recommended but not required to have their barn name as well. "BWR" Moonlight Delight --> Moon.)
•The cow's adoption page. (This is a link that leads directly to the original oekaki page where the cow was posted.)
•Breeding slots. (A list showing all the cow's breeding slots and if they've been reserved, or used. If you hold a slot to another users cow it is required to be listed on their barn page in order to use the slot.)
•The cow's pedigree. (Or at the very least the parents to said cow. If the pedigree is unknown as in the case of a first generation cow you can simply list the parents as "Foundation".)

Non-Required:
•An image of your cow. (While it may be nice to have that information right there it is not required as it will always be visible on the adoption page.)
•The artist. (The user who created your cow, while it's not required it is nice to give credit to the original artist.)
•Genetics or mutations. (The geno or phenotype of your cow plus any additional mutations they may have. While it may be nice to have that information right there it is not required as it will always be visible on the adoption page.)
•Stats. (Your cows stats, again it may be nice to have that information right there it is not required as it will always be visible on the adoption page.)

Making Changes:
Once you've made your barn and are established you may find down the road your name doesn't fit, or you need a fresh start. No worries, your name can be changed at any time. Please note though, if you change your name any old brands on your cows cannot be changed as they are permanent. When a new name is chosen please use the Archive Updates channel in the Discord or DM the Barn Archivist so they can update the archive accordingly.

Identification Systems:

Once adopted, your cow's official reference will be updated with your identification system of choice. You may choose one, two, all three or even none for your identification system. This is to show other users that this cow is no longer available, and at a glance, who might own it. There are multiple different types of identification systems to choose from which will be outlined here. Please note that while you can change your identification system at any time, there may be things that cannot be changed on an official reference.

Ear Tags:
Ear Tags are a common Identification system found largely in milking cattle. ABA's ear tags are made of a durable plastic made to stay in place once tagged. While durable they are also made in a way to prevent damage if caught or snagged. With a smart release build these tags will pop off if they become caught or entangled. Users may choose to use one, or both tags on their ranches. Tags can be any color and can range in any numerical order between 001-999. Tags can be removed in the case of an ownership or identification system change. Please be aware that while tags can be removed this will leave a visible hole in the cow's ear(s) that will never go away.















Collars:
Collars are a common Identification system found all over the world in cattle of all types. ABA has two standard issue collars that can be chosen from. Collar type one is a standard Bell Collar. Made of a durable polyester and nylon blend strap with a stainless steel metal bell. These collars are tough and made to last. These collars can come in any color or pattern imaginable, custom made to fit your cow perfectly in both comfort and style. Collar type two is a high-tech digital Milking Collar. A slim design with comfort in mind. Digitally tracks GPS location for cows on pasture and accurately tracks lactation amounts via computer milker. These collars also come in any color but their small size makes custom designs more difficult. Collars can easily be removed in case of ownership or identification system changes will no repercussions.















Freeze Brand:
Freeze Branding is a popular western style Identification System commonly used in beef cattle. Unlike the more harsh and invasive hot branding, freeze branding is much more gentle and less invasive. There are four areas currently accepted for ABA freeze brands. These include: The hip, the brand is placed directly on the rear hip bone near the topline. The rump, the brand is placed behind the tailhead and below the hip bone. The rib, the brand is placed along the last rib near the topline in front of the hip bone. The shoulder, The brand is placed in front of the armpit on the shoulder muscle. Here at ABA we strive to make the branding process as painless as possible and with our advancements in brand technologies we've created a 95% pain free branding. The area is numbed thoroughly before the hair is shaved and the dry ice rod is placed directly onto the skin. ABA brands only need to be held in place for 10 seconds before the brand is set and the animal can be released. Please be aware branding is permanent in the event of an ownership or identification system change.

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Adoption:

ABA cattle are simple to adopt, most users can get their first one completely free! Make sure to check out the Tutorial once your done here in the guide. There is no limit to the amount of cows a user may own, keep your circle small or collect as many as you can!

How to Adopt:

When reviewing the main page you will see cows posted, those with colorful backgrounds are available for adoption. Any cows with blank backgrounds and added accessories have already been adopted and are no longer available.

[Insert image of main page when applicable]

How adopts are awarded to users is unlike most other UMAs. Users will be required to fill out the basic information that comes with all cows. ie their username, barn name, cows name etc. Once this is done they are automatically entered into the adopts raffle pool. Meaning all normal, non-milestone, ABA cattle adopts will be awarded via raffle (Users can view the raffle results anytime in our Discord.) Users will then also be allowed to engage in whatever contest/prompt the artist chooses to include with said adopt. These contest/prompts will be outlined in more detail below. If a user chooses to engage in these extra prompts/contests they will be awarded XP, or occasionally HMs which is a type of currency that can be used in the [url]Shop[url]. Adopts will be open and available until the artist posts to close them, regardless of when the projected end date is listed. This means no ones form will be void unless the user posts after the artist closes the adopt.

Prompt/Contest Types:


FCFS: Whichever user completes the artists given direction first without editing their form wins the adopt, these adopts will not be raffled due to the nature of the prompt.

Raffle: Artist can choose to not include an extra XP prompt or are only looking for one to two words, these adopts will be raffled off as normal.

Writing Prompt: Users will be required to type a minimum of 250 words following whatever topic the artist chooses. The artist can choose to make a word maximum to limit reading time.

Art Prompt: Artist will give a drawing prompt for the adopt that users can complete. Any skill level or medium is allowed as long as visible effort is made. The artist can choose to impose stricter guidelines or just keep things simple.


List to be continued...

Re-Adoption:

Winning an adopt on the Main Page isn't the only way to obtain new cows. Outside Main Adopts and Breedings users can swap cattle amongst themselves and the community. All trades, gifts etc are final so be sure you are satisfied with the transaction before it is completed. Staff will not be able to help with buyer/sellers remorse and it will be up to users to work these out. Be sure to brush up on the rules to ensure you're not breaking any before trading your cows! Below is a list of the currently acceptable ways for users to transfer ownership of their cows. This list is subjected to change or expand at any time, if you're ever unsure feel free to reach out to a member of staff, we will be happy to help!


Gifting: Users can choose to give their ABA cow(s) to another user or users for free. Please never beg users to gift their cows or their slots as this is against the rules.

Trading: Users can list a cow or cows up for trade for other cows, items, art etc. Be sure to check what you are asking for or offering is allowed before going forward with the trade. remember all trades are final.

Owner Re-adoption Raffles/Contests: This is like Main Page adopts where the user can hold a competition or raffle for their cow. Any raffles must be free entries, owners cannot make any profit from these raffles. Competitions can be as simple as just renaming the cow or complex lore building exercises.

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Breeding:

Words Words Words Words Words

Recognized Breeds:

Breed:
Holstein Friesian
Jersey
Guernsey
Brown Swiss
Ayrshire
Angus
Hereford
Charolais
Limousin
Simmental
Shorthorn
Brahman
Texas Longhorn
Highland
Belted Galloway
Galloway
Dexter
Belgian Blue
Lineback
Ankole-Watusi
Origin:
Netherlands
Jersey Island
Guernsey Island
Switzerland
Scotland
Scotland
England
France
France
Switzerland
England
India/USA
USA
Scotland
Scotland
Scotland
Ireland
Belgium
USA
East Africa
Type/Purpose:
Dairy
Dairy
Dairy
Dairy
Dairy
Beef
Beef
Beef
Beef
Dual Purpose
Dual Purpose
Beef
Beef USA
Beef
Beef Scotland
Beef
Dual Purpose
Beef
Dual Purpose
Dairy

Genetics:

These are all the current traits that can be found on ABA cattle. This list is subjected to change or expand at any time so keep your eyes out for new traits. These traits are listed in a layer hierarchy in which artists will follow when creating cattle and calves. This is to ensure all traits are represented correctly and don't contradict one another.

This hierarchy is as follows: Base Color (Black, Red, Wildtype) -> Dilution (Dun, Chinchilla) -> Pattern (Agouti, Brindle) -> Shading (Sooty, Roan) -> White (Piebald) -> White Modifiers (Brockling)


Base Color – E Locus
Determines whether black pigment (eumelanin) is produced.
• Eᴰ/_ – Dominant black: black base coat (unless modified by dilution or patterning).
• E⁺/_ – Wildtype: brown/bay base with darker points; expression varies with Agouti.
• ee – Recessive red: red base coat with no black pigment anywhere.

Chinchilla / Albino Complex – C Locus
Modifies red-based cattle only (visible only with ee).
*Note: Four alleles exist at this locus; cᵃ is omitted for simplicity due to near-identical expression to c.
• C/C – Normal red pigmentation.
• C/cᶜʰ – Mostly normal; may slightly lighten red pigmentation.
• C/c – Normal red pigmentation.
• cᶜʰ/cᶜʰ – Chinchilla: noticeably paler fawn, cream, or tan coat.
• cᶜʰ/c – Severe chinchilla: very pale cream or near-off-white coat.
• c/c – Albinism: extremely rare; total loss of pigment with white coat and pink skin/eyes.

Dilution – D Locus
Dilutes black pigment only (not visible in ee animals).
• D/D – Strong dun dilution: pale, smoky taupe coat.
• D/d⁺ – Dun: typical diluted black producing smoky, slate, or taupe tones.
• D/d – Dun: may appear slightly stronger or differently toned than D/d⁺.
• d/d – No dilution; black may appear charcoal or slightly brownish.
• d⁺/d or d⁺/d⁺ – No dilution; black may show a warmer tone.

Agouti – A Locus
Modifies the distribution of black pigment (only visible if not ee).
• A⁺/A⁺ – Wildtype agouti coloring.
• A⁺/a – Wildtype agouti coloring.
• a/a – Non-agouti: solid black or solid base color with no pattern.

Brindle – Modifier
Adds striping to agouti-patterned areas; requires A⁺ to be visible.
• Abr/Abr – Strong brindling on wildtype agouti.
• Abr/Abp – Very strong brindling on wildtype agouti.
• Abr/A⁺ – Visible brindling on wildtype agouti.
• Abr/a – No visible brindling (non-agouti suppresses pattern).
• Abp/Abp – Darkens the wildtype pattern; calves may darken with age.
• Abp/A⁺ – Darkens agouti points.

Sooty – Modifier
Adds dark shading over pigmented areas, typically on the topline, neck, shoulders, hips, and face.
• So³ – Heavy sooty overlay with strong charcoal shading across the coat.
• So² – Moderate shading concentrated on topline, neck, shoulders, hips, and face.
• So¹ – Light shading, primarily along the topline and upper body.

Roan – R Locus
Intermixes white hairs evenly throughout pigmented areas.
• Rn/Rn – Heavy roaning; coat appears frosted, silvered, or very light.
• Rn/rn – Moderate roaning; head, legs, and topline often remain darker.
• rn/rn – Non-roan; no intermixing of white hairs.

White Patterning – S Locus
Controls the presence and distribution of white markings.
• S⁺/S⁺ – Solid coat; no white patches.
• S⁺/Sᵇ – Blazes, socks, and white underbelly.
• S⁺/Sᵇᵉˡ – Small, unrefined, broken, or incomplete belting.
• S⁺/Sᶜˢ – Color-sided pattern.
• Sᵇ/Sᵇ – Blazes, socks, white underbelly, and white-tipped switch.
• Sᵇ/Sᵇᵉˡ – Belted pattern with possible blazes and socks.
• Sᵇ/Sᶜˢ – Color-sided with bald face.
• Sᵇᵉˡ/Sᵇᵉˡ – Large, well-defined, complete belt.
• Sᵇᵉˡ/Sᶜˢ – Color-sided with a large, defined belt and high white volume.
• Sᶜˢ/Sᶜˢ – Strong color-sided pattern with heavy spotting and a dark topline.
• sᵖ/sᵖ – Heavy piebald pattern with large, irregular white patches.
• sᵖ/Sᶜˢ – Color-sided pattern broken and interrupted by large white patches.
• sᵖ/Sᵇᵉˡ – Belting becomes broken, blended, and irregular within large white areas.
• sᵖ/Sᵇ – Blazes, socks, and underbelly white added to large piebald patches.
• sᵖ/S⁺ – Mild piebalding with more color and fewer/smaller white patches.

Brockling – Modifier
Adds colored hairs into white areas; opposite effect of roaning.
• Brk³ – Heavy brockling with dense freckling throughout white areas.
• Brk² – Moderate brockling, commonly on face, flanks, socks, and belts.
• Brk¹ – Light brockling with sparse freckles in white areas.

Horn Types and Shapes
• Polled - Born naturally hornless, completely lacking horn-buds.
•De-Horned - The horns are removed from the animal but they still carry the genetic information to pass onto offspring.
• Small – Small, normally dull, horns that don't usually pass the ears.
• Medium – Moderate length and width horns that tend to go pass the ears.
• Long – Large, sharp and/or girthy horns that far surpass the face.

Passing Rates:


Knowing how traits are passed to offspring can help users determined what their calves may look like when choosing a breeding pair. ABA cattle will follow simple allele percentage system which will be outlined below.

Allele's tied to Locus':
Any traits that are tied to a locus (base coat, A, C, D, etc) will be determined punnett square esq style percentages. Artist will combine the parents alleles and generate all the possible combinations. Once done they will choose which alleles to give the calf and create them based off their chosen genome.


Same × Same = 100% same
Heterozygous × Homozygous = 50% / 50%
Heterozygous × Heterozygous = 25% / 50% / 25%
Different heterozygous × different heterozygous = four 25% results

Example:
Bull: EᴰE⁺ / aa / CC / Dd⁺ / SᵇSᵇᵉˡ / rn/rn
Cow: ee / A⁺a / Ccᶜʰ / dd / sᵖS⁺ / rn/rn

Calf Possibilities:
Base Coat: 50% Eᴰ/e 50% E⁺/e
A Locus: 50% A⁺/a 50% a/a
C Locus: 50% C/C 50% C/cᶜʰ
D Locus: 50% D/d 50% d/d⁺
S Locus: 25% sᵖ/Sᵇ 25% sᵖ/Sᵇᵉˡ 25% S⁺/Sᵇ 25% S⁺/Sᵇᵉˡ
R Locus: 100% rn/rn

With these numbers generated artist will then choose one set from each locus and create the calf based on it.
Genotype: E⁺/e / A⁺/a / C/C / d/d⁺ / S⁺/Sᵇ / rn/rn
Phenotype: Wildtype Agouti with Blaze and Socks

Modifiers:
Modifiers (brockling, sooty etc) are generated differently than alleles. These are generated solely by percentages. Calves usually fall somewhere in the middle of their parent's modifier strength, though sometimes they can fall above or below their parents averages.
*Important: If a parent lacks a modifier they are represented at the lowest level (1) instead of 0.


Parent Modifier Level 1x1: 1 85%, 2 15%, 3 0%
Parent Modifier Level 1x2: 1 40%, 2 50%, 3 10%
Parent Modifier Level 1x3: 1 30%, 2 50%, 3 20%
Parent Modifier Level 2x2: 1 10%, 2 80%, 3 10%
Parent Modifier Level 2x3: 1 0%, 2 40%, 3 60%
Parent Modifier Level 3x3: 1 0%, 2 15%, 3 85%

Example:
Bull: Brk³
Cow: Brk¹

Calf Possibilities: 1 30%, 2 50%, 3 20%
Artist rolls 1-100 and gets a 52. Calf will have Brk²

Horns:
Horns are generated similarly to Modifiers in a percentage based roll. Calves usually fall somewhere in the middle of their parent's modifier strength, though sometimes they can fall below but never above their parents averages.


Polled x Polled = 100% Polled
Polled x Horned = 50% Polled 50% Horned
Same x Same = 100% Same
Short x Medium = 70% Short 30% Medium
Medium x Long = 60% Medium 30% Long 10% Short
Short x Long = 50% Short 30% Medium 20% Long

Example:
Bull: Long
Cow: Short

Calf Possibilities: Short 50% Medium 30% Long 20%
Artist rolls 1-100 and gets a 52. Calf will have Medium

Mutations:


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Leveling:

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Title:

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[Black.Wings]

Stats:

All cows will have a list of randomly generated stats at creation but they can be modified by leveling up or by items. These stats are used exclusively for competitions and play a huge role in how well you'll place in your given category. Stats for first generation cattle will always range between 0-3. Breeding, leveling, or items can increase your cow's/calf's stats to a maximum of 10. Stats, their usage, and passing rates will be outlined below.

Stats:


Strength: Used for Team/Single Pulls, determines how much weight a cow can pull.

Endurance: Used for Halter Classes or Team/Single Pulls, determines how much patience a cow has or how far they can pull an object.

Speed/Agility: Used for Cross Country/Agility Courses, determines how fast a cow can complete any given course.

Intelligence: Used for Cross Country/Agility Courses, determines how well you cow can correctly complete the course.

Temperament: Used for Halter Classes and Production Classes, determines how well a cow behaves in the show ring.

Production/Quality: Used for Production Classes, determines how well of a producer your cow is at it's given purpose.

Passing Rates: Stats pass a bit differently than genes. Artists will overlook the stats of each parent cow and add +1 to whichever parent has the higher number of that specific category. Once the high end is totaled they will repeat the process by -1 to the lowest parent stat of each category. Once the categories are outlined the artist will roll a number within that number bracket, whatever it lands on will be the calf's stat.

Example:
Bull: Strength 3, Endurance 2, Speed/Agility 3, Intelligence 7, Temperament 6, Production/Quality 9
Cow: Strength 3, Endurance 5, Speed/Agility 2, Intelligence 3, Temperament 10, Production/Quality 0


Strength:
Highest 3 -> +1 = 4
Lowest 3 -> -1 = 2
Bracket is 2-4
Artist rolls 2-4 for Strength and gets a 2, calf's Strength is a 2

Endurance:
Highest 5 -> +1 = 6
Lowest 2 -> -1 = 1
Bracket is 1-6
Artist rolls 1-6 for Endurance and gets a 3, calf's Endurance is a 3

Speed/Agility:
Highest 3 -> +1 = 4
Lowest 2 -> -1 = 1
Bracket is 1-4
Artist rolls 1-4 for Speed/Agility and gets a 3, calf's Speed/Agility is a 3

Intelligence:
Highest 7 -> +1 = 8
Lowest 3 -> -1 = 2
Bracket is 2-8
Artist rolls 2-8 for Intelligence and gets a 8, calf's Intelligence is a 8

Temperament:
Highest 10 -> MAX
Lowest 6 -> -1 = 5
Bracket 5-10
Artist rolls 5-10 for Temperament and gets a 6, calf's Temperament is a 6

Production/Quality:
Highest 9 -> +1 = 10
Lowest 0 -> MINIMUM
Bracket is 0-10
Artist rolls 0-10 for Production/Quality and gets a 7, calf's Production/Quality is a 7

Competitions:

Team/Single Pull:

Halter Class:

Production Class:

Cross Country/Obstacle Course: