Zebras

[Tom]

I wasn't trying to say we wouldn't add those things. I was giving a reason as to why zebras aren't the thing holding them up, and the reasoning as to why they aren't at the very top of our list of things to do. As it stands the community has work arounds for most issues related to private breeding.
Truth be told most of our effort goes into bug fixing, keeping the servers running and updated. We are working on new features too, but most of the time when we update the game no one can even see it's happened because it's behind the scenes stuff.

[BlackOak2]

Not saying you weren't. It's just good to hear what is also in our admins' minds from time to time. And if... if the chance exists that our small community is holding something back for some reason, it might not be the case and because our community exists differently then other games it might react quite a bit differently then expected.

I think we all know how hard you both work for the game (as well as your real lives). I also think that the community also feels a little held-back in certain areas and that's why there's a bit of push here and there. We all like the little additions, it gives us something to snack upon. But what really feeds us is those big releases.

Please keep going. I'm sure I'm not the only one in the community that appreciates it.

[Soaring Hooves]

Tom, and of course larissar, I want to say thank you for giving Zebras a chance, even with people's misgivings. I appreciate how you guys are always open to suggestions that people think will make the game better. Thanks you so much for everything!

I wasn't trying to say we wouldn't add those things. I was giving a reason as to why zebras aren't the thing holding them up, and the reasoning as to why they aren't at the very top of our list of things to do. As it stands the community has work arounds for most issues related to private breeding.
Truth be told most of our effort goes into bug fixing, keeping the servers running and updated. We are working on new features too, but most of the time when we update the game no one can even see it's happened because it's behind the scenes stuff.

[Malakai10]

...

But zebras are distantly related to horses. It's like a house cat relationship to a lion or a tiger. They look different but they're within the same family, Equus.

I know that - they still aren't the same. Aren't domesticated. I feel like a lot of people just think of them as stripy horses.

[Malakai10]

Another thing that I learned is that realistically speaking, zebras can't be tamed and ridden like horses because of their wild nature. https://www.google.com/search?rlz=1C1CH ... ent=psy-ab

They can't... mostly.
I am fairly certain that there were a few tamed zebra in Pietermaritzburg, KZN, South Africa - they were used in the movie Racing Stripes.

[Nazarach]

.

Did the game have to turn preexisting horses to zebra? My poor poor lovely horses...T-T

[Malakai10]

I have to add something else here. Admins, we are developing a community that takes care of it's own. Though I see where you're coming from, you should reexamine the community your game has. We have developed a part that in most online games simply doesn't exist. We give away top bloodlines for free to newbies and other players, we give away top studdings, we give away millions of dollars to support them, trainings... I think if we had some more access to other areas (such as giving away inventory) we'd do that as well.

Perhaps we're not quite there to the point that might benefit Every New Player. But our community does go a long way to support, bring in and make the game as enjoyable as possible to everybody we can reach.

I can see something like the gelding feature (though I don't know about the rest attached to it), would go a seriously long way to providing competent grinders for a lot more people. Then with the accruing of the money gained by such a beast, the ability to purchase those better bloodlines, or the understanding of the original seller of that grinder, that the player given it will stay around, thus is worthwhile sending them a top-line brood or stud.

Approved broods will also allow those important studs to expand. Though certain lines will always be protected.

We're also working on getting more rares out there.

The one I would like to see released next, that I think would benefit the community the most, is the training release. THAT is the one (though I know only what you've offered publicly about it) that I think will move gameplay forward in the largest amount. Having more horses thoroughly trained will give a boost to the competitions and also give a boost to the ones we can sell out. With less time utilized in the training arena, we can focus more on breeding rares, breeding powerhouse bloodlines and figuring out new ways to boost our newbies other than just 'here's a grinder, here's some money, here's all the guides you need'.
...I'm not taking away what the community does for newbies, but I used those words to describe the bare bones of it...

As an end note, it it takes away nothing from the workload that you already cover for our bigger additions, then I have no real argument against adding them. And donkeys. Mules, the crosses, as long as they suffer from occasional sterility just like their real life versions. Although if they're unbreedable as crosses right now... well, the choices for adding the additional sides for such things goes on forever.

Of course, Thank You! Admins, as always.

Pretty much what I would start doing with the gelding feature (well, preferably neutering for both sexes) would be to no longer delete foals that I don't like, neuter them and use them as horses to give away to new players/sell them for a cheap price on the market.

So, I do think the gelding feature will increase the number of good horses available to newbies - they might not be able to breed them but competing them will certainly allow the newbies to get enough money to breed/buy their own great bloodlines.

Out of curiosity, what other possible things could we do for new players?

[mora098]

I can't speak for everyone of course, but only from my perspective, and I fail to see how geldings and private breedings would cause a problem. I think if people are going to be greedy about their lines, they're going to be greedy about their lines whether geldings exist or not.

This is my scenario, so again, it's personal perception:

I go through days pretty quick and test a lot of stallions in local shows that I end up not using for my breeding program because they are inferior to other stallions I already have access to. Basically these now fully trained horses sit on my account until they die because I am one of those greedy people who likes to have control of my lines (I offer breedings to people but I almost never sell colts/stallions). Now, if I could geld these horses I would be happy to sell them to people so they could use them as either a local show hero or a really solid show prospect as even the stallions I choose to not use for breeding are still pretty dang good in competition. Either they get gelded and go out into the world or they do nothing. Not having access to gelding is not going to make me change my mind and decide to throw my horses out into the world.

For me it's a similar situation with not being able to have private breedings. I'm not going to post stallions up and gamble people reading "Private", so when I am offering a breeding I just sit and wait for the person to be on at the same time as me, I throw the stallion up for stud for max of around 2 minutes to let them breed their mare(s) and then the stallion comes back down again. It just makes it more of a pain for basically the same result. I'd be more inclined to offer more breedings if private breedings was actually a feature because it would be way easier for me to coordinate and easier for people to apply.

I appreciate that consideration and thought is going into the implementation of the features, but I really just don't understand how gelding and private breedings will make the problems you mentioned worse.

I completely agree with what you said! No need to add my two cents because this explains it perfectly

[KYLEIGH396]

I can't speak for everyone of course, but only from my perspective, and I fail to see how geldings and private breedings would cause a problem. I think if people are going to be greedy about their lines, they're going to be greedy about their lines whether geldings exist or not.

This is my scenario, so again, it's personal perception:

I go through days pretty quick and test a lot of stallions in local shows that I end up not using for my breeding program because they are inferior to other stallions I already have access to. Basically these now fully trained horses sit on my account until they die because I am one of those greedy people who likes to have control of my lines (I offer breedings to people but I almost never sell colts/stallions). Now, if I could geld these horses I would be happy to sell them to people so they could use them as either a local show hero or a really solid show prospect as even the stallions I choose to not use for breeding are still pretty dang good in competition. Either they get gelded and go out into the world or they do nothing. Not having access to gelding is not going to make me change my mind and decide to throw my horses out into the world.

For me it's a similar situation with not being able to have private breedings. I'm not going to post stallions up and gamble people reading "Private", so when I am offering a breeding I just sit and wait for the person to be on at the same time as me, I throw the stallion up for stud for max of around 2 minutes to let them breed their mare(s) and then the stallion comes back down again. It just makes it more of a pain for basically the same result. I'd be more inclined to offer more breedings if private breedings was actually a feature because it would be way easier for me to coordinate and easier for people to apply.

I appreciate that consideration and thought is going into the implementation of the features, but I really just don't understand how gelding and private breedings will make the problems you mentioned worse.

I completely agree with what you said! No need to add my two cents because this explains it perfectly

I agree!

[BlackOak2]

Pretty much what I would start doing with the gelding feature (well, preferably neutering for both sexes) would be to no longer delete foals that I don't like, neuter them and use them as horses to give away to new players/sell them for a cheap price on the market.

So, I do think the gelding feature will increase the number of good horses available to newbies - they might not be able to breed them but competing them will certainly allow the newbies to get enough money to breed/buy their own great bloodlines.

Out of curiosity, what other possible things could we do for new players?

That's what I was also thinking, the part of the gelding (and sterilization, I don't like having one without also having the other) to offer more relatively awesome horses that just aren't good breeding shed fodder. Our obsession over grinders would be slightly more alleviated (I know it's not an obsession, but that's the way it's acting like). Giving geldings and sterile mares to newbies for great money-making profit would be the very first thing we'd do for them. We already do that now, but the horses we offer even to ourselves as grinders, we first check to make sure they're not breeding shed material. If the breeder has already checked that for us, we know exactly what they'd end up being, without having to second guess if the breeder was offering the horse as breeding shed, competition stock, or grinder fodder.

It's something I've been tossing around for quite some time, different types of help for players. I just saw, as most of us have, the new breed kits that at least two of our community is offering for those newbies and new-to-the-breed players. Offering from their own top of the line bloodstock a couple pregnant mares and a good stud and an influx of money... and of course some experienced information for how to maintain that stock.

It would be handy if our newbies had an idea of what they're looking for, we could design better pinpointed aid for them. Many of our newbies are recently interested in our thoroughbred section. And by showing any interest in that area, they usually have a response of at least 7 different players offering them free thoroughbreds, or nearly free, plus a grinder.

In this respect we have the newbies covered. But what of those that don't know where to go? I offer, assuming they already have a little bit of foundation on the game, to tackle the recipe quests then when they find what they want, if they still need or want some aid, to come calling. That hasn't happened. For brand new newbies, an influx of cash is great and a grinder and some bloodstock if they know what they want...
And I know I'm repeating myself. But I am a bit stuck on what else to offer for the newbies that don't know where to go from there.

We'll need the new training upgrade to help fulfill something like gelding grinders, assuming that upgrade allows faster training (in some fashion) for our horses.

We could post newbie shows for high pots, but we can't limit who enters. So if we were to take a rare breed, give the foals or trained horses to newbies, then host a competition or number of competitions, that could certainly give them a boost. It'd be long, but an interesting project to tackle. Especially if 'every' newbie gets this particular rare breed. That could eventually have quite the trickle down effect. One particular breed would be considered the 'newbie breed' and specialized events held for that newbie breed consisting of high pot, low entry and those that want to support it, could breed the newbie breed and give away those horse to any and all newbies. It would provide a continuous support that anybody can offer by simply hosting an event. Something like that could work beautifully, but not necessarily be successful.
I would assume the primary breeders, supplies of the newbie breed would be the primary 'how to breed' and 'how to maintain' as the newbies get their footing. Afterward, they can simply sell out and move on to whatever they want to tackle, complete with the training they obtained while having an interactive guidance into the game.
And even with something like this, trainers would still be in HIGH demand.