Health Genes

[Argent]

You mentioned that health would be affected by a set of genes a long while ago. Will there be any way to test for these negative genes? Will there be breed-specific genetic disorders?

[larissar]

Anything which can be tested for in reality will be testable in the game.

Having breed specific disorders is hard to answer:
1) Yes the disorders will be in the game
2) Yes I could probably restrict the mutation to appear only in specific breeds
3) No I cannot make it so that the gene is only within a specific breeds gene pool. When breeds are crossed then the negative health genes can cross into any breed.

That said, the health aspect of the game is probably about midway down the priority list, so it might be a little while before these are added in.

[Argent]

So there will not be generic health genes, only those related to breed-specific illnesses?

[larissar]

No, no. There will be generic illness too.

[Argent]

But will they be based on the horses' genetic makeup? I know there will be lameness and infections and such.

[larissar]

Yes, there will be generic genetic-related ailments and injuries. It will take time to add all the data to the game but it's going to be a very modular system and easily expanded.

[Argent]

Thanks I'm assuming it will be something like "horse with gene x is more susceptible to injury/illness y"

[larissar]

Yes exactly

[Malakai20]

How will genetic health issues be added?

I've been puzzling over this for a while. I figured that adding genetic problems just to horses in the adoption centre wouldn't work very well, since most, if not all players, will just stop buying AC horses and only use the disorder-free ones already in the game.

The only (mostly) fair thing I can think of that will work: each current horse in the game getting a chance, when disorders are implemented, to get a genetic health issue based on the ancient breeds in their ancestry, the percentage chance f each of those ancient breeds having that disorder, and their inbreeding; and then after that the disorders are passed down realistically. Although doing this sounds like it might be complicated to program, I think? I can't say that I know much about programming.